Your article “Visitors are put off by bus lane” (Confusing bus lane is putting off visitors (Gazette, January 13) addresses one problem among a myriad of traffic problems that councillors of all parties at various levels of local government have inflicted upon Colchester, but in particular the town centre.

There is now a growing anger by residents I talk to about these decisions and will form a key policy for voters at the next local elections.

This now begs two questions: What is the overall long-term plan?

If you are driving down the High Street or up East Hill and don’t live or have a business in the area, where the bloody hell are you going?

Through the middle is not your best choice.

What with cars holding up traffic trying to do U-turns at Lewis Garden, I’ve lost count of the times my family or I have been bullied by drivers going over the pavement.

We are not able to get out of Priory Street, in or out of Roman Road, Guildford Road or Rosebery Avenue without difficulty.

It’s made it a no-go zone for most of the day for residents with standstill traffic belching out fumes.

Like Victorian town planners, the present-day decision makers have inflicted all the smells and pollution on the East side of town.

Brook Street has for a long time been the most polluted street in Colchester, but now I would not be surprised to find East Hill and East Street are as bad due to the traffic chaos.

This pollution will, without doubt, be detrimental to the health of those living in the area.

This makes me feel like my family and neighbours’ lives are worthless because of our address.

Also, the town centre including East Hill and East Street are littered with listed buildings much in conservation areas so that same congestion is detrimental to the history of the town.

I support the bus lanes. It is not a question of removing them because drivers don’t obey the law, but expanding them or a least a scheme that supports them for the good of health and history.

For many years there has been talk of closing the High Street to traffic but clearly that poses a problem for access.

Those decision makers must start to consider a congestion charge zone covering the town centre, which, like the camera on the bus lane, allows access to registered vehicles.

For those that don’t need access they pay for the privilege, compensating for the damage they are inflicting on the health and history of Colchester town centre.

John Cooke
Smythies Avenue, Colchester