CHRIS WILLIAMS, like many enthusiastic cyclists, would like to see a better road infrastructure for the safety  of bike user on Brighton and Hove’s Roads. Actually we all would like a better traffic system than what we have at this present time.

With how this city has grown over the decades, it cannot or will not change unless we demolish certain areas where needed to widen the roads to accommodate all road users.

This will not happen as we have not enough land but with the population growing as it is, we will never have enough land.

When I left school and started work in 1956, it was with the building company that built M&S in Western Road. We also did  M&S maintenance work, which meant we would travel all over - Chichester, Worthing, Eastbourne, Bognor Regis and many other towns that had so many cyclists.

Why? They were fairly flat whereas Brighton is built on hills. Venture to those other towns today and you will not see that many cyclists because today’s life is so much faster. People want to get some where fast, not later, but now.

When as a lad, my tool bag had to have the regulated tools to do the work of my trade as set out by the trade unions. With some discomfort I could carry it on my push bike, but found it more convenient to travel by bus, though it took longer to get to the place of work.

Then as the years rolled on we were expected to use power tools, now travelling by bus became impossible, tradespeople needed and were expected to own a car.

Today the same workers need a large van. There are so many different trades that need cars and vans to carry the tools of their profession. With the increasing demand for home deliveries, the volume of traffic has increased, causing the present day traffic problems. Roads have had to be upgraded to take the damage these large juggernauts have done to them.

Our towns and cities that were designed for horse and carts now have buses and lorries that are so long. They struggle to navigate through our city centres. Then those same buses that are built for main roads are trying to manoeuvre around our congested housing estate side roads.

From those early days of smaller buses with a 30-minute service, they are now struggling with those bigger buses with a ten-minute service. More buses than ever before, all converging on the Valley Gardens.

So where in all this was there any town planning by our councils over those decades? They have been led by different political parties, but all have blundered their way with their different coloured glasses on, oblivious of what is required to meet the needs of everyone.  It was always going to end in chaos.

I have travelled the length and breadth of Britain and Europe. The differences are wide and varied but all suffer from the same problems that we have inherited from our forefathers. Lack of foresight, making do, patching over the problems by trying not to spend money, taking away that money from their own pet schemes.

Conclusion - you will never satisfy just one part of society and please the rest of society on wishful thinking alone.

To have a city that will meet the needs of tomorrow's world, we will need to demolish what we have now for it has become obsolete for the needs of today.

When I could ride a bike I used a bike. When it no further fitted my needs, I travelled by bus. When the bus could not carry my load, I travelled by car. Now retired I use the bus  to travel into town, but the bus still does not fit all of my needs, I still need my car.

Spencer Carvil

Egginton Road

Brighton