IT is a pity your editorial on the Heslington Lane petition read "a taxpayer who has helped to fund public roads should retain the right to use them" (April 9).

Is this a prior right over the residents occupying their home, paying their taxes too, and having to endure disturbance to their peace and quiet, or the risk to 1,800 children attending the two popular schools?

Many supporters of the petition will be motorists too, but it is the increasing misery caused by non-local, unnecessary traffic which causes most upset, and requires acceptable solutions.

Residents have a right to expect drivers to drive at, or below, the speed limit.

Heslington Lane is in a "20mph safe route to school zone" and should not be used as an inner ring road shortcut for heavy goods vehicles and non-essential traffic.

The university campus generates a high volume of all types of vehicles, with expansion planned which will create construction goods and workforce traffic, before the students and staff traffic follows.

Heslington Lane through to Hull Road is a "rat-run". These factors need to be seen to be tackled sympathetic ally.

As the Labour candidate for Fulford ward, if elected, I promise to make Heslington Lane traffic control a priority.

Alan Smith,

Fordlands Road,

Fulford,

York.

...The news report about a campaign to introduce an intelligent rising bollard (April 9) was interesting.

Why not go the whole hog and just remove all the roads there and make all the Fulford residents walk?

In fact, why not apply this idea to all residential areas of York containing roads which motorists have the audacity to drive on?

I particularly liked the idea of sending the traffic round the bypass, presumably to funnel it down the A1079 Hull Road.

Why should the environment of the residents of Hull Road and Badger Hill be further sacrificed so residents of Fulford can live in an oasis of calm?

The people of Fulford need to accept that their properties are near a road and learn to live with the traffic.

If they can't do this, they could always sell their houses and move.

Not all traffic can travel on arterial routes. Occasionally it needs to move into the suburbs along roads such as Heslington Lane.

Dave Hay,

Park Drive,

Knaresborough.

Updated: 11:38 Monday, April 14, 2003