I HAVE lived on the A44 for 18 years and watched the volume of traffic increase. However,since the introduction of the 40mph zone at Cropthorne, I find it increasingly difficult to join the main road from my drive which is just out side the zone.

This is due to the bunching effect caused by the 40mph and I have counted anything from 8 to 32 cars in a continuous line leaving the zone. The knock-on effect is that no one can over-take the slower vehicles. By the time this mass hits Evesham the problem is compounded. The peak time queues from Cheltenham Bridge used to end at Hampton Church.They now end between Hampton Vegetable Shop and Boston Lane.

The journey to Worcester used to take 25-30 minutes. Now it takes at least 45. I have never, in the thousands of times I have driven this route, seen small unattended children in the Cropthorne, Drakes Broughton or Stoulton areas. I presume that their parents, who have chosen to live by this road, have worked out that playing on the A44 would be dangerous and have taken the responsibility on themselves to keep them away.

It seems ridiculous that our main 'A' road into our county's capital city is effectively a 40 mph road.

Who decides these areas? Did they think of the ramifications of traffic bunching? Was it just a blanket policy that all roads with houses on should be 40mph? Does no one think about free flowing traffic? As a rural area surely we realize that cars are important or should we just accept the "2 Jags" opinion that all roads should be bus lanes?

Liz Scott, Lower Haselor, Evesham.