SIR - I write regarding the proposed plan for a bus lane on Newtown Road.

I cannot, for the life of me, see any reason for this. Traffic flows well at all times. Perhaps less in the morning when people are going to work and mothers drive their children to school, and again when people come back from work.

Throughout the rest of the day traffic flows freely.

I believe it is proposed to widen the stretch of Newtown road that runs parallel to Ripon Road, thus taking out the trees and greenery along it.

At the moment only one bus uses this stretch of road and that is the park-and-ride, which I believe has been reduced to about one or two per hour. The bus service that serves Ronkswood is the No 31, which in either direction turns into Canterbury Road, goes around the loop and comes out the other end of Canterbury Road which is either end of Ripon Road. So why widen a road for just one bus? This is a complete waste of money.

With regard to the threat of a congestion charge, this is nothing less than a bullying tactic. This will do untold harm to our tourist trade and, surely, a congestion change is for traffic congestion which I doubt if a small city like Worcester has, certainly not on Newtown Road anyway. This will completely ruin the city as regards visitors coming here to shop, and what about the Victorian fair, who is going to come to that if there is a charge? I doubt if Councillor Prodger has even though about these things.

G Marchment.

Worcester.