SOME readers have questioned the need for the A64 roadworks at Copmanthorpe and claimed that residents can "get out of the village" via the Manor Heath interchange on a permanent basis

This route is a longer detour than the underpass now being built at Top Lane, but would likely not be a major inconvenience for car users.

However, your correspondents are making a very arrogant assumption: that every Copmanthorpe resident can afford to, or wishes to, travel by private car.

For pedestrians and cyclists the Manor Heath detour would be a major disincentive to travel under one's own steam, for reasons of safety and journey distance.

How many cyclists have braved this official detour, since the roadworks began? Have any switched to alternative travel modes?

Once the new link road is completed, more residents will be encouraged to walk, cycle or take the Coastliner bus.

This will have the beneficial effect of reducing the number of cars travelling to York and leave more road space for essential motor vehicle users.

At the end of the day, the Highways Agency had the upper hand in deciding whether or not the scheme should proceed.

The Cyclists' Touring Club (CTC) promoted an alternative, safer cycle route than that designed by the Highways Agency.

Sadly, this was rejected, in favour of the agency's design for a cycle path which crosses the new link road on the flat.

Paul Hepworth

Press officer,

CTC North Yorkshire,

Windmill Rise

Holgate,

York.

...AS a victim of York's traffic chaos I must respond to Claire Stansford's letter (October 20).

It is not a matter of being 'good' to sit in the inside lane, it is more illogical.

When two lanes of traffic converge into one they should do so at the point of lane closure with drivers merging 'in turn'.

The length of the tailbacks on the A64 is partly attributable to being 'good' and moving into the inside lane too early. In Germany they display signs advising drivers to merge in turn and, although there are some delays, there is none of this nonsense about being a bad driver just because you do what is logical.

Perhaps the Highways Agency could experiment with such signs.

Mark Bradley,

Clifton Dale,

York.

...THE Italians are much hornier than the Brits.

I once saw a driver in Rome emitting lengthy blasts on his car horn while nonchalantly reading a newspaper.

I wonder then how they would respond to drivers at Copmanthorpe who, with stunning displays of chutzpah, sail past the poor suckers who patiently wait their turn, cutting in at the last possible moment.

Some of these people are much more important than the rest of us but some are just rascals, and plain bad eggs all round.

I suggest a national horn-blowing day on Friday blasted against all those brass-necks who have the effrontery to queue-jump so blatantly and outrageously. This does not apply to emergency vehicles of course or male teachers driving white BMWs.

Brian McCusker,

St. Oswald's Road,

Fulford, York.

Updated: 10:42 Wednesday, October 24, 2001