HOW do the Greens work their figures out? Jonathan Sear suggests, that from the figures he has, that there would be only a 12.5 per cent drop in traffic flowing through Daten Square. That can't be right by any stretch of the imagination. I would reckon it to be more like 87.5 per cent reduction. What about Professor Whitelegg's suggestion of using the rail link to Heysham Port? Unfortunately the track is totally inadequate. Firstly it is only single track, secondly it has no overhead electric power, thirdly, and most importantly, it goes through a built up residential area. The cost and disruption to upgrade the track virtually rule out that option. The only only alternative would be to construct a new line, crossing the Lune, on a new bridge, probably at the same location as the proposed new road bridge. Now there's a good idea, build both at the same time.. forward planning. What about the so-called devastation of the 10km swathe of land. Let's get this into perspective -- it' only six and a half miles long and 100yards wide and 90 per cent passes through scrubland -- the contractors will landscape it and make it better than it is now. When he general public can be offered, cheap, reliable time and destination friendly public transport then is the time to tempt the motorists from the cars -- so for now let us have the bypass -- it is a one-off expense, subsidised bus and rail services are ongoing.

John Harris Euston Road Morecambe