SOME two years have elapsed since a traffic-calming scheme was brought into operation in Harwood Road, Rishton.

We have narrower roads, white-painted circles at junctions, parking areas, cycle tracks, numerous white lines and small islands.

Like many other motorists, I find it impossible to negotiate most of the painted islands and, as for the white lines, I find myself having to ignore them for a variety of reasons (goodness knows how HGV drivers cope).

In Harwood Road seeing is believing - there are brakes screeching, horns blasting, excessive speeding and many near-misses.

Buses at the junction of Stourton Street and Harwood Road stand stationary in the centre of the carriageway, collecting passengers while traffic builds up for hundreds of yards behind.

The cycle track is positioned between lines of parked cars and the actual carriageway. Motorists are driving on and parking their vehicles on the pavement because the carriageway is too narrow.

What concerns me is the lack of comment from the police, AA, RAC and other motoring organisations. Surely, road safety officers cannot have agreed with some of these measures. Can someone explain what offences are committed under the following circumstances:

Failing to negotiate these coloured circles, especially where it is impossible to do otherwise?

Driving over the white lines or parking on them?

Driving and parking on the pavements?

Parking on the cycle tracks?

WILLIAM MOORE, Harwood Road, Rishton.

Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.