THE political fallout from York Labour group’s decision to scrap the Lendal Bridge traffic restrictions is only just beginning.

We can expect a great deal of jeering and mocking, cries of ‘told you so’ and talk of U-turns in the days and weeks ahead.

There will also, however, be some who are disappointed that this traffic experiment has failed in such a way. Count us among them. In the circumstances, following traffic adjudicator Stephen Knapp’s ruling that the council had no power to issue fines to motorists at either Coppergate or Lendal Bridge, we feel the authority had little choice but to reopen the bridge.

If anything, the Labour group has been slow to act. The restrictions should have been dropped as soon as Mr Knapp’s ruling was published – if not suspended in February, when the trial came to an end.

The fact the trial was mishandled doesn’t mean it was a bad idea. There is chronic congestion in York. Something must be done to sort it out. The Lendal Bridge trial, however inept, was a bold experiment.

Perhaps the most damaging aspect of this failure is that it will now be harder for the authority to try radical solutions in future.

The authority must not shirk that responsibility. Already, business leaders are calling for the northern ring road to be dualled as the only way of solving York’s congestion problems. At some stage, who knows, council bosses may even need to consider the possibility of a congestion charge – although that would probably be political suicide.

One thing is for sure: York’s streets cannot be allowed to become ever more congested and polluted. Bold political vision is needed now more than ever.