IREAD with dismay Hyndburn Council's proposals to place traffic-calming measures along Highfield Road, Howarth Street, Knowles Street, St Charles Road, Walmsley Avenue and Petre Crescent in Rishton.

I have lived in this area for the past 15 years and would like the councillors responsible for this forthcoming travesty to answer some questions.

How many fatal accidents have occurred in the designated areas in that time?

How many non-fatal accidents have occurred during the last fifteen years?

How many of these "speeding motorists" have been fined?

Have any of the councillors travelled down the designated areas recently?

If they had, they would notice that Station Road, Howarth Street, Knowles Street and Petre Crescent are already reduced to a single lane by parked cars.

Studies into the proposed traffic calming measures have proved that such measures cause more problems than they solve.

The incidence of complaints of back pain from constant jarring on the spine created by the road humps increase.

Pollution caused by increased exhaust emissions, due to acceleration and braking to negotiate the humps, is greater, leading to increases in asthmatic problems in children. The noise from large wagons, which can negotiate road humps without loss of speed becomes greater.

This is why more enlightened places are now considering removing road humps.

Are they aware that Station Road becomes a large car park during the Cricket season? Where are the visitors to Rishton Cricket Club going to park if such measures are installed?

Where are the cars attending weddings and funerals at St Charles' Church going to park? Road humps, chicanes and junction plateaux reduce parking spaces.

If road humps are installed and I or my wife suffer back problems through such installation, I will sue the council. Any repairs needed to the suspension and shock absorbers of my car due to road humps will be deducted from the council tax charge I pay.

ALAN LIGHTBOWN-WHALLEY, Petre Crescent, Rishton.

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