IN THE past couple of weeks we have seen that the carnage has already begun on Blackburn's 'orbital route' and adjacent roads, beginning with the death of an 82-year-old woman on Barbara Castle Way and a hit-and-run on Montague Street.

Most worrying perhaps was a young lad being knocked down outside his school on Birley Street. The headmaster of St Alban's primary school, Mr Peter Keegan, has been told by the council that his urgent request for warning lights and pedestrian crossing outside the school "doesn't meet the criteria."

Councillor Ashley Whalley says that "you have to have injury accidents before you can invest the amount a zebra crossing costs" (LET, December 18).

There are two important issues here. Firstly, the cost of installing extra warning lights and pedestrian crossings should be well within the council's normal annual budget.

Secondly, Birley Street has been used as a rat-run for many years now by motorists wanting to avoid using Barbara Castle Way.

Now, if the closure of Church Street goes ahead, there will definitely be an increase in traffic on Birley Street and other minor roads.

Why aren't the traffic engineers and councillors aware of the chaos and injury that awaits us? Why aren't they listening and responding to the public's awareness of potential hazard areas?

Remember, there have been no accidents on Church Street in normal shopping hours since the M65 extension was opened.

Yet the council's rationale for the closure lists four paragraphs indicating road safety as the reason.

There is no common sense in its rationale, so please think again.

BOB TURNER (Mr), Toplex Ltd, Penny Street, Blackburn.