SIR: I was very pleased to read that Cllr Radcliffe is concerned about the levels of air pollution in Winchester and pressing for action to reduce traffic in the city. Traffic is the biggest cause of these pollutants, and I must point out that electric vehicles won’t completely solve the problem since they will continue to emit particle pollution from tyres and brakes.

The only way to substantially increase air quality is as Cllr Radcliffe says, to reduce traffic but he is living in cloud cuckoo land thinking it can be done by calling on bus companies to increase services and incentivise parking outside the city centre. We do need a better bus service but bus companies will only increase services where they make money (or are subsidised) and cars will continue to come into the city centre unless you deter them.

Winchester City Council has within its power to close city centre car parks, increase parking charges (resident and public), introduce a congestion charge and a workplace parking levy. Coupled with bus and cycle lanes or streets with rising bollards to improve bus journey times and increased cycle parking, these would go a long way to reduce traffic. The ultimate aim is for the Council to run its own bus service which it has the option to do, like the very successful regular services provided in Reading.

Cllr Radcliffe has got the right idea but I urge him and other councillors to now get on with it and make our air breathable again.

Giles Gooding,

Fordington Avenue,

Fulflood