I REFER to the traffic build-up on the Esplanade travelling from the Pier Band-stand to the clock.

Traffic unable to enter King Street, backs up (on a regular basis) and blocks this narrow area, which means any vehicle intending to go straight ahead (including buses) can’t get to the empty left hand lane beyond the obstruction.

With the road at full width, this problem would not occur.

Also, the bottleneck is so narrow that is represents a real danger to cyclists if a large vehicle passes through the gap at the same time.

The provision of separate lanes relating to the intended direction of travel is a well established road layout.

Apart from the bottleneck I’ve described, why have the planners abandoned the principle in the other direction also, (from the statue clock), which has been reduced to a single lane?

This means that vehicles going straight ahead have to queue with traffic turning left into King Street, even though the road ahead is clear.

This is a strange decision, considering that before the ‘improvements’ were made there was an extra lane already in place which provided a left turn lane at the junction.

These two examples of what appear to be unnecessary reductions in road width appear to fly in the face of common sense.

Surely to maximise, not lessen the available road space, is the best way to assist the flow of traffic.

G Keenan Weymouth