LETTER:School run is causing traffic chaos

The implication of this is that it is the “school run” which creates congestion rather than the traffic of business and commerce, which is the excuse being used by the politicians to implement this ridiculous plan.

And, of course, this is absolutely correct. Any regular user of this junction knows congestion of any significant nature only exists during school term time and then, only for short periods morning and afternoon.

For much of the rest of the day there are no traffic delays of any note.

The proposed traffic signalling will only ensure frustration and annoyance for drivers at all times of day or night, very similar to the mad system in place at the Blackburn end of the M65.

This is, of course, typical knee jerk reaction from that political cabal, otherwise referred to as the Government, who only ever treat the symptoms while ignoring the cause.

This particular symptomatic traffic congestion is caused by building schools in far-flung locations without giving due consideration to the distance children need to travel. But the culpability of the political cabal goes back much further.

During the building of the M65 the decision was taken to funnel all vehicular movement, both motorway and local, through the Gannow junction and no provision was made to siphon off local traffic to relieve pressure at peak periods. In fact, it could be believed the plan was to create maximum inconvenience for road users.

This indeed may be the reality because in the back of their collective mind is the mantra of reducing carbon emissions by forcing people out of their cars and what better way to do that than by creating chaos on the roads?

But if the carbon emissions are truly their concern why centralise school and other essential services, such as hospitals, which only add to the necessity of travel over longer distances for more people? Business and commerce in Burnley will not benefit from the introduction of an expensive and disruptive plethora of traffic signalling devices around the Gannow junction.

The only real beneficiaries will be the companies and their shareholders who manufacture, install and maintain this veritable forest of electronic mayhem.

John Cave,

Caernarvon Avenue, Burnley.