Letters >

Traffic congestion - Charlie Bolton, 31 March 2005

To: Bristol Evening Post

Dear Sir

I see that you have run a story in which motorists berate the police for not controlling traffic at the failed lights at the Newfoundland St/Bond St junction (Traffic mayhem, but no one takes control, 30th March).

Isn't it ironic that you choose to do this at the same time as you have a spate of letters slamming cyclists who dare to blame other road users for their woes?

In fact, the fundamental reason for all the traffic problems and congestion on our roads is not the management of the traffic - it is the sheer volume of traffic.

And the solution doesn't really lie in blaming others for it. It lies in blaming ourselves for adding to the problem. The Green Party used to do an annual survey of traffic levels in Bristol, and consistently came out with the result that three-quarters of all cars are occupied by one person. Add to that the growth in traffic levels (at least half a million cars per year nationally) and you have a recipe for worsening traffic chaos.

The answer lies in people taking action to reduce the need to travel - either by car sharing, living closer to where they work, working closer to where they live, or even working from home. It lies in using the local shopping centre, not the regional one.

Sorry chaps, you ain't going to build your way out of this one.

Charlie Bolton
Parliamentary candidate
Bristol South Green party