SIR - May I refer to Robert Hartwright's letter (Letters, November 30) concerning the need for a new relief road for Worcester.

At last, someone who has the guts to stand up for the silent majority - what we need is another stretch of tarmac and concrete to make the journey from one traffic jam to another just that much quicker.

As for the cost - no problem. Just let developers build hundreds of new homes on open country - why the road would pay for itself.

As for pelican crossings and traffic calming measures, once again Mr Hartwright is right on the money. The temerity of some pedestrians who demand (never mind ask!) the right to cross the road without fear of death and injury. Wouldn't have happened in our day would it, Mr Hartwright? People were tougher then and they knew their place. Don't even mention bus lanes.

But why stop with a new relief road - why not widen all the main arteries into the city centre to dual-track width? It's achievable, just lop a few metres off peoples' gardens.

What an opportunity was missed in the 1970s when we could have had an all-singing, all-dancing, all-bypassing super highway. Not much of a price to pay - only the demolition of a third of the arboretum.

Ah, the environment I hear you say - baloney! We can't have the tree-hugging, lettuce-munching brigade stop us from exercising our inalienable right to drive where we like as fast as we like, can we?

NICK PARDOE, Worcester.