DETAILED contingency plans will ensure York's traffic plans will not hit trouble should there be an emergency on the roads during Royal Ascot.

But traffic bosses at City of York Council urged residents to be patient while they negotiate their way around the roads during the five-day festival.

Peter Evely, head of network management and Bill Woolley, acting director of environment and development services, said the traffic master plan which would keep York free from gridlock would be adaptable in case of accidents on the A64.

Mr Evely said: "We have a plan which is specific when it needs to be specific, and generic where it needs to be.

"It will effectively deal with any foreseeable incident and has in place procedures we can use for those we could not foresee."

Mr Woolley said: "CCTV and people in the field will be covering the whole city. We will know very quickly if there are any problems that exist on the highway.

"Plans are in place to deal with those very promptly. We have plans for every realistic eventuality."

Visitors and city residents travelling to the racecourse have been urged to remember they must use the A64 if they are to get to Knavesmire.

That means those who need to get about in the city should be able to use the highway. But Mr Evely said: "This is a plan to deal with both sides of the event. People should not panic."

Shane Chalmers, the council's Ascot project manager, said he was very much looking forward to the event following months of hard work from authority workers.

"We are very excited about it all," he said.

"The planning for this event began two years ago and everyone has been first class."

Updated: 10:03 Saturday, June 11, 2005