I WAS saddened to read Mr P. J. Billington's attack on me (Your Letters, May 7) and I must now add his description "arrogant" to the list of adjectives thrown at me by Socialists over the years.

He is entitled to support cycle lanes, though I would be more impressed if he and others made more use of them. But after two years very few people do.

He tells me to cycle to work, yet he does not consider the impracticalities of taking the cycle on the train to Carlisle, Liverpool, Shrewsbury, or wherever I may be travelling some days, then cycling to a college at the other end, and then changing clothes before my appointment. The whole idea is ridiculous (without admitting my physical disability, which makes the exercise very difficult). I feel Mr Billington's approach is unrealistic and would suggest that he does more to encourage the use of public transport, instead of asking me to cease using the bus.

However, I would like to correct one impression created by Mr Billington when he misunderstands my reference to "halving" the traffic flow on Bolton Road. I was pointing out that the cycle lane has reduced the lanes of traffic moving down from Bury town centre from two to one - nothing to do with speeding. Indeed the very idea of vehicles speeding down Bolton Road in the morning rush hour is not credible, but I would not wish to be seen as favouring speeding.

Despite newsletters, surgeries, correspondence and other means of communication, Mr Billington does not believe I represent majority opinion in the ward. Indeed one sometimes has to represent minority views, as when I backed Mr Billington in his campaign to support the nuclear energy industry in opposition to his own Labour councillors in Bury.

On this occasion, I do feel that I am in tune with the majority view. I recall that, when the cycle lanes appeared on Manchester Road, it was the three Labour councillors for Unsworth Ward who featured in the Bury Times representing their constituents' opposition to the growing menace of cycle lanes (which I am advised is a "traffic calming" measure and not to benefit the few cyclists).

COUNCILLOR R. E. WALKER

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