I WAS extremely pleased to see that improvement works were being undertaken to the junction of Ainsworth Road and Bolton Road (A58), including the provision of traffic lights, pedestrian crossings, and road widening.

And I am pleased that these works are successful (with the exception of the traffic light timings).

However, it is with infuriating disappointment that I write this letter. I have held back with my complaint for a while now, but can hold out no longer.

My first frustrations were with the Quality Bus Corridor' on the A58 to the Bolton side of Ainsworth Road junction, heading to Bury.

I could not believe that a transport plan to increase the efficiency and speed of public transport would include placing a bus stop on a pinch point of the bus lane, where the road is reduced back to one lane, hindering all other traffic while the freeflowing' bus stops. Then, to make matters worse, the bus lane appears again for approx 50 metres, prior to the petrol station, and the traffic lights, leading to road rage, barging, lane jumping and traffic congestion on a bigger scale than before the junction improvements were made. Frustrated as I was, I held my peace.

Then to my amazement a bus lane appeared to the Bury side of the A58 and Ainsworth Road junction. In fact, two bus lanes, each of about 25 metres long.

What purpose they serve is beyond me. Again there sits a bus stop in the middle of this white elephant. I could hold back no more. More traffic congestion, in and out of bus lanes, barging, traffic frustration etc.

I do believe that the transport system can be improved, and I do believe that bus lanes (properly policed) work. However, the location and purpose of these bus lanes must be correct and justified.

It seems that the bus lanes in question have been dropped willy nilly on pieces of road that can accommodate them, without any thought.

If the whole idea is to prove to the public that a certain number of miles of bus lanes have been put in place, then your transport plan is going about it the right (but wrong) way.

If the purpose of the bus lanes is to improve the efficiency of the bus and public transport infrastructure, and subsequently improving travel times and reliability, then I would suggest that you sack your planners quickly.

These works have been an impotent gesture to strategic transport strategy.

I would be interested to see how much time the journey time from The Wellington Pub to Bury has been improved by these works, and at what cost to us, the public.

PAUL KELLY, BA BAI MIEI ACIOB Ainsworth Road Bury