MOTORISTS have told how they fear congestion on York’s outer ring road and A64 is damaging business, encouraging motorists to take risks and causing pollution.

Readers signing The Press’ Dual Them! petition, which calls for the dualling of both routes, have also been venting their frustration at sitting in lengthy jams on the roads.

Derek Colley, of South Bank, said: “The congestion at times is horrendous; the cost in time, fuel and pollution which results is wasteful. They should have been dualled originally.”

Margaret Brown, of Copmanthorpe, said congestion on the ring road across the summer was “dire”, and prevented York residents going about their normal business, while Phil Schofield of Acomb said using the roads was “a nightmare”.

Wendy Thomson-Smith, also of Copmanthorpe, said the congestion caused “frustration and risk taking”, while Neil Brennan, of Huntington, said he used the York outer ring road on a daily basis and witnessed a number of accidents and close misses as cars struggled to join the traffic and cut and pushed in.

Peter Spence, of York, said he was tired of being stuck in traffic jams while businessman Paul Mann, of Keighley, said the routes hindered him in serving clients across Yorkshire efficiently.

He said he normally had to allow 2.5 hours, outside the rush hours, to get to Scarborough from Skipton, which were both in North Yorkshire. “I allow the same journey times for Birmingham and Lockerbie,” he said.

Emma Kirkland, of Haxby, said congestion on the ring road was “terrible” and so dualling was much needed, while Kerry Pipes, of York, said using the A64 and A1237 was “hell”, adding: “If you hit it at the wrong time it can take up to two hours to get out of York towards the east coast!”

Kathleen Murphy of York said that for many years, she had travelled on the ring road from one side of York to the other, and was fully aware of the delays and congestion, while John Kenny, of York, said of dualling: “I have grown old and frustrated waiting for it to happen.”

Brian Cummings, of Sherburn in Elmet, said he regularly used both roads to get to York Hospital and visit Scarborough, and because of congestion had to allow an extra hour to get there, while Harold Amos of Bishopthorpe said it was a “modern requirement” to keep traffic moving.

The Press campaign petition supports the ‘A64 growth partnership’ of local authorities, MPs, business organisations and the York, North Yorkshire and East Riding Enterprise Partnership, which was recently launched to press for dualling of the road between York’s Hopgrove roundabout and Malton.

The petition also calls for the Government to agree to fund a prospective York council bid to dual the ring road from a new £1 billion ‘Major Road Network’ pot of money, which is open to bids from local authorities to tackle congestion.

To sign our petition online, go to https://www.change.org/p/the-department-for-transport-dual-them-dual-the-a64-and-york-outer-ring-road-b1c3d278-089a-4d28-8aab-ae59b58f0e7b