Lorry ban

SIR, — There appears to be a wide divergence between the views of Dennis Owen and Philip Webster (Herts Advertiser letters, September 25 and October 2) with regard to the traffic that often struggles through St Peter s Street, St Albans. One longing for a

SIR, - There appears to be a wide divergence between the views of Dennis Owen and Philip Webster (Herts Advertiser letters, September 25 and October 2) with regard to the traffic that often struggles through St Peter's Street, St Albans. One longing for a calm and orderly thoroughfare, and another defending the right to open access for every properly-licensed and insured vehicle.

One cause of obstruction may be the number of large vehicles transiting the city and blocking St Peter's Street. Following the last major survey of the city and its traffic flows, signs stating "No Access for goods vehicles over maximum gross weight of 7.5 tonnes except for loading/unloading" were placed at all the strategic access points around the city. These signs are still in place and although mandatory are to my knowledge never enforced, thus goods vehicles over 7.5T often take a short cut by transiting the city illegally and with impunity.

As gps systems become more sophisticated and universal surely it would not be too difficult for such systems installed on vehicles to allow the input of the type and size of the host vehicle. These gps systems would then divert vehicles without a destination address in the city centre away from the city by not suggesting routes that ignore the 7.5T restriction signs.

The Peahen crossroads junction has for many years been one of the country's busiest with traffic transiting the city from east to west and from north to south. With the advance of new technologies, sensible access controls and parking restriction, we shall perhaps find a way to turn St Peter's Street into a much less chaotic place.

JOHN HUMPHREYS,

Church Crescent, St Albans.