Cars clogging country lanes in York, North and East Yorkshire are taking the pleasure out of trips in the countryside, an environmental group said today.

The pleasure of walking, cycling or riding along a country lane without fear from speeding traffic was fast disappearing, according to the Campaign to Protect Rural England (CPRE).

Under the Transport Act 2000, local authorities can designate minor rural roads as Quiet Lanes, but the Government still has not published the required regulations, said the CPRE. Now the group has issued its own Quiet Lanes guide suggesting which routes should be designated.

"Speeding vehicles, rising traffic levels and heavy lorries are making many country lanes unpleasant, unsafe and intimidating for other users - stripping them of their character and shattering their tranquillity," said Paul Hamblin, of the CPRE.

Jasper Gibbons, CPRE chairman for North Yorkshire, said the campaign was particularly important in our region, which is primarily made up of country lanes.

He said: "The majority of the county is made up of country lanes and we don't have many trunk roads. The majority of traffic does go via back roads. It can be worse around York where there are lots of rat runs to avoid the northern ring road for example, and cut offs from the A1.

"Everyone has a right to use our roads, they're not for the exclusive use of the car. We have to be considerate to agricultural businesses for instance, for whom a lot of these roads were initially created."

Tony Webster, press officer for North Yorkshire County Council, said: "We have had discussions with a number of bodies including the Yorkshire Dales National Park about the possibility of introducing quiet lanes. We are still looking for a lead nationally on this."

Updated: 10:51 Wednesday, August 20, 2003