THE Conservative prospective Parliamentary candidate for Basingstoke has declared war on road humps.

Maria Miller launched a "hump-free" campaign this week against what she sees as a current "obsession" with dealing with speed reduction by installing humps.

The campaign calls on Basingstoke council to:

Agree not to install any more traffic-calming schemes based on humps in the road

Listen to residents who ask that existing unpopular humps be removed

She told The Gazette: "In listening to the views of the people of Basingstoke, I have picked up time and time again their anger at the obsession with road humps. You only have to drive down Pack Lane, in Kempshott, to see that 'obsession' is the right word.

"There are other ways to calm traffic. Popley Way, in Popley, is a good example where central islands have served to calm traffic, stop dangerous overtaking and make it safer for pedestrians to cross the road. In many areas - Woodbury Road, Hatch Warren, for example - mini-roundabouts have slowed traffic at junctions where previously the cars drove straight on.

"There are other effective measures to slow traffic. Humps make journeys uncomfortable and they are terrible for ambulances and bus passengers. They cause noise, increased levels of pollution, rapid acceleration and braking - and they cause anger.

"I invite people to contact me if they need traffic calming in their roads or if they are suffering from a badly designed calming measure. I want to work with the council in encouraging good road safety measures. I want Basingstoke to be safe - but hump-free."

Mrs Miller, who plans to represent the Tories at the next general election when Andrew Hunter steps down, is asking people who feel angry about road humps to ring her on her hump-free hotline on 01256 322207.

The council is at present engaged in consultations with local residents in the Pack Lane area after receiving a petition with more than 1,600 signatures calling for the removal of the humps there.