Alistair Darling is one of those ministers who believes traffic congestion can be cured by charging heavily-penalised motorists for the privilege of driving, instead of looking at how the congestion is caused and why motorists are frightened away from toll roads and fee areas.

This has implications on trade and industry, with higher costs and less custom, and delays in getting to and from work.

The answer is that congestion is caused by over-management of traffic.

I have seen this develop in Brighton over the years. More and more traffic lights, bus lanes and road restrictions snarl up traffic that will inevitably arrive in the city, causing jams right up to Patcham bypass.

Tourism and trade must be affected because nobody can get here. You cannot deny freedom of movement and choice.

Environmentally, it would be better to improve traffic flow to avoid long, fume-filled delays.

We don't have the infrastructure for sufficient alternatives that would give us the freedom to travel where and when we like and there will only be insufficient park-and-ride areas for the expected increases.

Please be practical and stop hiding under the "public transport and environment" umbrella - motorists will always be here.

-David Shelton, Worthing