I WHOLEHEARTEDLY agree with Conservative councillor Jeremy Moulton about the state of Southampton's roads (In My View, December 16).

The city council seems intent on trying to deter motorists by any means they can.

For example, I have seen under-used 24-hour bus lanes which make the buses appear more efficient by slowing down cars.

Coupled with the abolition of bus pull-ins, the buses stop all traffic behind them when they stop to pick up or drop off passengers.

Bus lanes are an excellent idea, but not if existing roads are taken to provide them.

We have seen pavements made wider, for no reason.

Two lanes reduced to one, like in Shirley High Street, west bound, at the Park Street junction. And the one at the junction of Hill Lane with Archers Road and Howard Road. There are many more around the city.

If two lanes are made into one, the queue is twice as long.

Then we have no left turns, no right turns, buses only. The removal of left turn filters at traffic lights, such as Maybush Corner when coming from Rownhams Road, again makes even more queues.

I thought that traffic lights were meant to assist in traffic flow. Ours seem to stop traffic, wait for traffic to queue and then move the cars to the next set of lights in a group. Very frustrating.

Why doesn't the council turn all the lights off for a trial? I believe that the traffic would self-regulate, and that there would be no queues or accidents.

What is needed is good routes for all vehicles, so that people can get into and out of Southampton easily. And the provision of ample parking.

That way we can encourage more people to shop in the city.

Come on Southampton, wake up to the fact that you are losing out to nearby councils. We don't need money wasted on so-called traffic improvements and also in the unnecessary changing of street signs that now proclaim City of Southampton in bright red.

You should be ashamed of what you have done to a once proud city.

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