WITH traffic congestion in our area set to rise by 14 per cent in the next five years instead of falling by eight per cent as it was supposed to, I am delighted that North Somerset Council has found a solution to our overcrowded roads (Weston edition). A

WITH traffic congestion in our area set to rise by 14 per cent in the next five years instead of falling by eight per cent as it was supposed to, I am delighted that North Somerset Council has found a solution to our overcrowded roads (Weston edition). According to figures the council has published, the number of day tickets sold to drivers travelling on the Kewstoke toll road fell from over 100,000 in 1999 to below 70,000 in 2004. The number of regular travellers purchasing permits apparently fell by a similar amount. If these results could be achieved in the whole of our area, traffic congestion over the next five years would not rise by 14 per cent but would fall by twice that.The only problem is that the council lost an annual net income of £46,700 when the toll was suspended in 2005 as it was said to cost too much to collect.Now the maintenance of the road including structural repairs, signage, tree management, mechanical sweeping and litter cleansing is met out of our council tax, the yearly cost being currently estimated at £20,000.However, toll roads are rare and the missing £26,700 would probably be saved in annual temporary pothole repairs not being needed if less traffic did less damage.CLLR MIKE KELLAWAY-MARRIOTTWeston Town CouncilGrove House, Weston