THE Straylands Grove traffic management order and Mr Evely's defence of it (February 15) appear to identify two problems.

1. That traffic entering and emerging from Straylands Grove to Malton Road interrupts (or will in the future) the inbound bus lane.

2. That the residents of the defined residential area must be protected.

What the council officers fail to realise is these problems now only occur twice a day at rush hour and that the catchment area for the proposed Straylands Grove gate is at least twice as large as the area they have delineated. It includes Stockton Lane, Hempland Lane and many of the roads leading off these roads.

Almost everyone living between Lime Avenue, Heworth Village and Ashley Park, and beyond, uses the 'gate' on a regular, although in many cases, infrequent basis.

Three questions remain:

Why were so few people surveyed in the first place?

What will happen to the No. 13 bus? Many pensioners rely on the route to get to Monks Cross

Why no taxis? The amount cab owners pay for their licence could include a free access card, although few would jib at the £7 annual fee required to become a 'gate' user.

John Caley,

Hempland Lane, York.

Updated: 09:26 Monday, March 07, 2005