RESPONDING to two perfectly valid letters complaining about road humps in the Acomb area, the City of York spokesperson reflects the Stone-Age thinking of the council's transport department when saying: "We, like other highway authorities, have no alternative but to use traffic calming measures." (The Press, August 22) What complete nonsense.

In London, Barnet Council began removing road humps in 2002. Traffic flow has improved and accident rates have plunged only recently in the borough of Kensington & Chelsea; Exhibition Road has had all the street clutter - road markings, signs and barriers - removed in a safety experiment.

But, of course, these are forward-looking local authorities, willing to learn from the successful "shared space" concept pioneered by the Dutch engineer Hans Monderman, which seeks to remove all the pointless road markings and associated clutter, and promote the responsible interaction of all forms of transport, including cyclists and pedestrians.

Other authorities such as Wiltshire County Council started removing white lines from its roads, and speeds dropped as motorists had to take more care. It is ironic that, as other authorities try out sensible, safe and money-saving schemes, City of York Council continues to waste resources on ever more pointless, so-called road safety measures.

M Warters, Yew Tree Mews, Osbaldwick, York.