THE traffic chaos in Kendal caused by the closure of Victoria Bridge was far worse than it needed to be because of the town's dreadful one-way street system.

This was introduced on a temporary basis before the M6 was built and it is beyond belief that the town still suffers from a one-way system that ensures anyone driving into Kendal must do a complete circuit of the town.

At least half the town centre's traffic must be caused by the need to circulate, rather than to return on the same route.

The suburbs also suffer from rat-runners (including me) avoiding the circulatory system.

With Victoria Bridge closed, and Stramongate Bridge and Miller Bridge one-way only, the town centre is nearly impassable.

All that is needed is to abolish the circulatory system and to make these bridges two-way again, perhaps signal-controlled alternately in the case of the latter.

Of course, Kendal needs a northern bypass, which would completely remove much traffic from the town centre, but this requires serious money and political will.

Restoring two-way traffic in the town centre only needs some paint and new signs.

This would alleviate the chaos and make Kendal a much more civilised place in which to live, work or visit.

Oliver Barratt

Grange-over-Sands