IT is good to see some attention being given in your paper to the serious traffic problems in our conurbation and the poor level of traffic management by our local councils.

In Poole, Ashley Road is very bad, yet the efforts of Poole council have been expensive and ineffective, such as the new bus stop at Uppleby Road.

At this bus stop there was a large lay-by large enough for the buses to easily pull off the road. However, buses could rarely use it properly as it was usually fill of parked cars.

The simple solution was to keep cars out of the lay-by and remove parking on the opposite side of the road. Instead, Poole council built a new bus stop further out into the road which does nothing to improve traffic flow.

Other measures needed along this important traffic corridor to improve traffic flow are to remove the small amount of parking on the north side of Ashley Road between Sea View and Wesley Road, switch off the pedestrian lights at the beginning of Poole Road (there is another crossing about 50 yards to the east) and closing the junction between Poole Road and Bourne Valley Road.

Bournemouth could be similarly improved, but the first job must be to change the chaotic bus situation in the Square.

Again a simple, quick and cheap solution is to move some eastbound bus stops to Westover Road and to move taxis to Bourne Avenue.

There are many ways to improve traffic flow. We must not allow our councils to do very little any longer.

PHILIP SANDOM

Farcroft Road, Poole