New pedestrian island has

'made it worse for drivers'

SIR, - Speaking as a pedestrian and a driver, the new island at the Brook Street traffic lights now makes it difficult for cars turning right from the Skipton end.

Cars coming from this direction now have to position further forward to avoid the pedestrian island. This then makes less room for cars turning right from Leeds. In addition, cars, and particularly lorries, travelling straight on now have less room to get past the vehicles turning.

I can see problems from this new arrangement, more near misses and possible accidents. It would have made more sense to position the island further back so that the turning space for vehicles was maintained.

I also think some of the widened kerbs are silly and sometimes dangerous. The new one on Bolling Road now means cars turning right up Cowpasture Road block cars travelling straight on along Bolling Road. In what way does this help to keep traffic moving?

Did it need to stick out quite as far? Judging by the tyre marks, cars must be hitting it at night when dark.

I'm all for making Ilkley safer for pedestrians but that shouldn't mean making it more dangerous for cars. Whoever is coming up with these ideas probably doesn't live in Ilkley, or if this is so, then, doesn't drive a car.

D Walker

42 Wheatley Avenue

Ilkley.

Snarl-up

SIR, - I travel along the A65 through Ilkley every day to go to work in Skipton.

Since the introduction of the traffic lights at the bottom of Victoria Avenue my journey time can be increased by up to half-an-hour.

On May 24 returning from Skipton on the X84 bus, it took 20 minutes to get from the Addingham turn-off on the bypass through the centre of Ilkley. It meant my bus, due to leave Ilkley Bus Station at 6.15pm, did not in fact reach it until 6.35pm.

The problem, as far as I can see it, is caused when vehicles try to turn right up into Victoria Avenue. Could something not be done to prevent this happening because, sadly, people do not seem willing to allow them the space in which to make the manouevre?

Ilkley is a very attractive town, but if people spend almost 30 minutes trying to get into it, I can see many of them simply deciding to drive right on through rather than risk adding another 30 minutes at the other end of their journey trying to leave.

Mrs Louise Long

1 Walkergate,

Otley.

Human rights

SIR, - This week Amnesty International released its annual report, a global overview of the state of the world's human rights covering 149 countries from Afghanistan to Zimbabwe.

The findings are far from encouraging. Sixty years after the UN was founded, its promise of human rights has been betrayed by governments around the world - both through their individual actions and the collective failure of the international community to tackle crises like that in Darfur, Sudan.

Governments have failed to respond to the increasingly horrific acts or armed groups with measures that respect human rights. Instead, we have seen continued detention without trial and attempts by the US and others to justify torture, setting a miserable example for other states to follow.

Governments, including our own, must be pushed to keep respect for human rights at the heart of their policies. Individuals can make a difference.

We hope that people in Ilkley will join Amnesty International in pressing for change, so that 2005's human rights legacy is a more positive one.

Lynda East

Amnesty International

Wharfedale Group.

Road peace

SIR, - In a recent letter to the Gazette, Robin Wright claimed that the speed tables on Bolling Road/Spring's Lane he once demonised 'are quite definitely achieving their objectives', an opinion few residents or pedestrians would share.

Official Bradford Highway Authority statistics show that the current reduced scheme allows more than 16,000 vehicles to exceed the speed limit here every week, some 185 travelling at more than 60 mph. This is shocking and cannot be described as 'best practice'.

'Speed Watch' came into being to try to ameliorate this situation. Local volunteers and some members of ICAS, trained by the police and working with them, operate 'Speed Watch' to reduce speeding levels throughout the town.

That Robin Wright was able to enjoy his drive along Bolling Road was probably due, in part, to the fact that 'Speed Watch' was in operation at the time.

It is a system Councillor Anne Hawkesworth supports. In a letter asking for help with high speeds, she responded: "I would imagine that this is just the situation where the Community Speed Watch campaign would perform a useful service." Mr Wright quotes Bradford Highway official Keith Escritt, who in a recent presentation on traffic calming to the parish council, painted a rather misleading picture of Bolling Road/Springs Lane, claiming that it was not a bus route, had wide pavements, that the Primary School had not expressed concerns about speeding and that speeding levels had fallen.

Not a very fair description of the road we all know! Though he did concede that the number of vehicles exceeding 60 mph was high and that the configuration of the road might encourage speeding.

Recent Highway Authority counts, (whose statistics we quote), have taken place close to the Wheatley Road junction, away from the central area where the highest speeds are attained, thus they cannot possibly reflect the full extent of the problem.

As this road is residential, has two major schools, a super market, a hospital and health centre, it is difficult to understand how speeding can be treated with such complacency. Road safety is about prevention of accidents and speed limits should protect urban living.

To Keith Escritt's remark, quoted by Mr. Wright , that 'this was no longer a site for concern', an astute councillor commented that the residents might not agree.

As Robin Wright approves the existing speed limit of 30 mph, could he suggest how speeding might be prevented as others would like to share a little of the safety, peace and quiet that he enjoys.

Perhaps he will take up my offer of a cup of tea in the garden one day to see, hear and feel the reality of living by a busy road. I'm sure that residents of other busy roads in the town, such as Valley Drive, Skipton Road, Leeds Road, Grove Road, Middleton Avenue, Cowpasture Road etc. would also be willing to entertain him.

BARBARA DAVY

Ilkley Campaign Against

Speeding.

Speeding

SIR, - The views of anyone who chose to 'stop and ascertain' why someone was pointing a gun at their car (Robin Wright, Letters, May 26) must surely be ignored. I would advise anyone in a similar position to either dial 999 or drive to the nearest police station. I live on Bolling Road and know that there is still a significant number of cars which travel far too fast.

Anyone who does anything to improve this situation gets my vote. My two children walk and cycle along this road every day - I don't want to wait until a child fatality triggers the response making this road 'a cause for concern'.

Anyway, being confronted by three women wearing yellow personally has never saddened me.

Brian Morris

1 Marlborough Grove,

Ben Rhydding.

rgate,

Otley.

Pal's search

SIR, - I hope that through your newspaper I will be able to obtain information of an ex-army pal.

His name is Bill Williams, and his last known address was in Bradford. He was stationed at the 5th Infantry Brigade LADREME in Iserlohn, Germany, around 1958 to 1960. Any information would be appreciated.

M Broadhurst ('Brummie')

5 Verwood Close,

Willenhall,

West Midlands,

WV 13 3QQ.

Telephone (01902) 605757.