Sir.- I must take issue with the anonymous Hampshire County Council officer who stated "People are not avoiding the road (namely Pack Lane). There are no displacements."

While I can speak only for myself, as a former school governor of Hawthorns, a user of Pack Lane Pet Supplies and a driver for Oakley Community Care, there are numerous occasions when I would have used Pack Lane but for the obstructions in the road.

I am forced onto busier roads, with higher speeds, greater congestion and higher accident rates, which are less direct.

Having a degenerative spinal condition, such hurdles and jolts as are inflicted by these obstacles are risky, not to say painful. To go at a speed that minimises the risks is to be intimidated by a line of impatient drivers that gathers behind. So Pack Lane is closed to me.

Should the speed limit be enforced, those choosing to ignore it are the ones penalised. It seems inappropriate to allow those who deliberately choose to speed to set the agenda for everyone.

But even worse, it isn't a "catch all". Those vehicles whose wheelbases allow them to avoid the humps can continue to travel at their usual speed.

So, yet again, those most affected are not the ones who would be most likely to challenge the law in the first place. Such poorly targeted action leads only to resentment.

-Mrs P Hammerton, Hill Road, Oakley.

Sir.-What a shame that Cllr Hussey cannot do the same amount of research as Cllr Heath, who, yet again, demonstrates the leadership skills that I feel the council is sadly lacking.

I am concerned about the waste of money that this whole sorry scheme has incurred by installing the wrong humps in the first place, having a public meeting only for Cllr Hussey to be told what we residents already knew - "You've got it wrong".

This may lead to dismantling these humps and, as Cllr Hussey now wants, the extra cost of modifications to the scheme that was wrongly introduced in the first place.

I get no reassurance from his pledge that the modifications will not be restricted by cost and money will not come into it. How generous of him to be so free spending with my money!

It's no wonder my council tax bill continues to soar.

How about a really radical alternative - make the whole of the town a 30mph zone? It would save a fortune on the current vast array of road signs, make it easier for the police to monitor one speed limit and, once everyone had got used to it - from learner drivers onwards - it no doubt would become an attitude of mind, whereby people "police" themselves rather than "Big Brother" intruding into our lives.

Come on, Cllr Hussey, follow Cllr Heath's lead and get your thinking cap on before our money is wasted on wrong schemes, at the wrong time, in the wrong place.

You don't need to be driven down Pack Lane in the dark - you need someone to show you the light!

-Pete Lewington, Homesteads Road, Kempshott.

Sir.-How hypocritical of Cllr Heath to campaign to remove the traffic cushions in Pack lane.

Has he forgotten that it was the Conservatives who campaigned for a 30mph restriction? Has he forgotten the local protests about speeding and Pack Lane being an accident waiting to happen?

The 30mph limit was introduced. It was flouted. Police cameras to enforce it were unpopular and unsuccessful. A stark choice remained - no speed limit or traffic calming to reduce the speeds.

Traffic cushions have many advantages. They:

are effective (90 per cent of drivers within the limit)

do not delay or shake emergency vehicles such as ambulances

do not bump bus drivers (who would otherwise be at risk of back pain due to frequent vibration)

do not bump cyclists who are at risk of coming off on conventional humps

are cycle friendly (car drivers do not pass too fast or too close)

do not delay traffic.

The alternatives to the humps are road narrowing and pinch points (e.g. Kempshott Lane near the Kestrel), slaloms (e.g. Woodbury Road), islands (e.g. Danebury Road) or alternating one way.

All the above obstacle courses are unpopular with motorists and most are dangerous to cyclists squeezed by impatient drivers.

In an ideal world, traffic calming would be unnecessary as drivers would drive at the legal speed.

How about Cllr Heath campaigning for cruise controls to be compulsory on all cars. Now that would be sensible!

-Heather Rainbow, CTC Right to Ride representative for Basingstoke.