IT is hardly surprising that City of York Council would consider permanently closing Lendal Bridge to all but pedestrians, cycles and public transport to be a good thing for reducing congestion (October 12). After all, most council buildings are situated close to Lendal Bridge.

Meanwhile, those of us who use the inner ring road on the other side of York feel the full effect of the re-located private transport.

Is this just another case of the old adage that the best maintained roads are the ones on which councillors live, or that bridleways in Osbaldwick are only cleared of rubbish after former mayors walk along them?

Dr Duncan Campbell,

Albemarle Road,

York.

...SITTING in his council office in a nice, quiet newly traffic-free St Leonard's Place, Bill Wooley is naturally in favour of the permanent closure of Lendal Bridge. However, those of us sitting in the nasty new extra half hour traffic jam on the A1079 Hull Road are not so delighted.

Did Mr Wooley really think that the Lendal Bridge traffic just went away with no effect on anywhere else? Now what was the one about the butterfly flapping its wings and the tornado...?

Ingrid Barton,

Kilnwick Percy,

Pocklington.

...THE suggestion that Lendal Bridge should be permanently closed to private motor vehicles is intriguing. I unnderstand that a Leeds University-based transport research group is making a study of displaced traffic patterns resulting from the present, temporary closure.

This survey will doubtless indicate how many private car owners have diverted to which alternative routes. The impact of extra traffic upon these diversionary routes, especially upon essential vehicle users such as the disabled, bus users and emergency vehicles, will have to be weighed in the balance.

Also, we might learn how many travellers have forsaken the car for bus, pedal power or walking.

The debate is certainly worthy of being formalised within the City of York Council. Hopefully the evidence from the present closure will enable the council's officials to work up a recommendation for a longer experimental scheme.

Travel conditions for permitted users of Lendal Bridge has improved out of all recognition in recent weeks. Perhaps it's a foretaste of things to come for our descendants, when the planet's oil wells finally begin to run dry.

Paul F Hepworth,

Windmill Rise,

Holgate,

York.

...IF all the car drivers who have craftily dodged the police and traffic wardens on Lendal Bridge gave a donation of £5 to SNAPPY then Ann Pemberton would have been be delighted to accept at least £1,750 so far.

Helen Harris,

Hunters Way,

York.