Bristol city centre congestion

Back in 1973 – when I started to work as a scaffolder at Muller Road, Eastville, on the M32 – the first thing I looked at in the engineer's office were the drawings.

They showed the M32 going all the way down Newfoundland Road to Bond Street, then the road would be built on stilts and would proceed along Bond Street, up past Temple Meads Station and to the Wells Road.

The engineer told me if this was successful, they could then extend from Bond Street and take it up on stilts past the BRI, to Blackboy Hill.

But in 1974 the money ran out; the Government wouldn't back it.

When I left in 1974, the engineer said to me: "I wonder what effect this will have on the traffic coming into Broadmead in years to come? There is bound to be more traffic."

I have often wondered why the city planners didn't get back to the original plans to ease the traffic from the city centre.

The city planners, many years ago in Dublin, came up with a plan to ease traffic congestion on morning rush hour coming into the city centre.

The police, or Garda as they are known, appointed four of their motorcycle policemen, whose job was to clear the roads coming into the city every morning.

Nobody was allowed to park outside in roads or streets. At first it caused mayhem, but then motorists realised 'move your car or we will tow it away'. I don't know what times this occurred in the mornings, but buses taking people to work had no hold ups.

We have double yellow lines here in Bristol, but motorists still park on them and go off shopping. I saw the photo in my Bristol Evening Post of the bus driver on the pavement.

Put yourself in his driving seat and see what these drivers have to come up against. Church Road, Redfield, is a no-go area for cars to park. Yet go down there, any day, any time, and you'll find cars and vans parked on double lines in the bus lane, on zigzag lines, at pedestrian crossings... and guess what? Not one traffic warden!

The Liberal city council should be ashamed to turn a blind eye.

Can't get a good traffic warden? God help us all.

Mr J Murphy, St George.