ALL I want for Christmas is congestion-free roads. It appears our local Highways Department have suddenly developed 'London Bus Syndrome". You know how it goes — you don't see any road works for months, then suddenly . . . Highways appear to have granted political asylum in Okehampton, to construction workers for miles around.

Not content for us to suffer considerable upheaval, due to the Waitrose development — with its associated road and car park modifications — they hit us with new traffic lights, and 'tarted up' pavements, for good measure. The result, chaos.

Are we entering the age of 'Cool Okehampton'. Apparently not, as tempers of motorists and pedestrians alike appear more heated, than cool.

The new road junction at Northfield Road, in my opinion, is very much New Labour. Looks a bit swish, not much substance, designed on a lap top, costs the taxpayer a considerable sum — and yes, serves no useful purpose. Already pedestrians are crossing the grey slabs as if it's a new type of zebra crossing. Unless more care is exercised someone will come to grief.

'Call me Tony' probably thinks my gripe reinforces his determination to rid the country of 'the forces of conservatism', with a small c naturally. Those who stand in the way of progress. Not at all. I just wish we had planners within the Highways Department who considered the real impact of change, and managed it, rather than giving the impressions their work was about spending budgets before the end of a financial year.

It seems like common-sense to me. That's it — rather than 'Cool Okehampton', let's have a common-sense revolution. Let's not worry too much about the state of the toilets — it's not life threatening. Let us have pelican crossings at the town's main road junction. Where crossing can be life threatening at present.

R E Thorpe

15 Church Meadow

Okehampton

IN REPLY to letters (October 28), Colonel Gow makes no mention of the benefit to pedestrians of the new traffic lights being erected at the Mill Road/East Street junction. Perhaps he should try crossing there at school bus times.

S Whiteley is concerned that motorists have to slow down to negotiate the new junction layout outside Wongs Fish Bar. If he/she has ever tried to cross that junction on foot they would realise how dangerous it was, with most drivers failing to indicate their intention to turn or indicating at the last minute. So, if motorists have to slow down the new layout is having the desired effect.

I do agree, however, that having the pavement level with the road is ludicrous and dangerous to us pedestrians as some motorists are using the pavement as part of the road.

J Leyman

East Street, Okehampton