A WHOPPING majority of motorists and residents polled about Sawbridgeworths traffic problems want a bypass road built.

The findings were revealed in Hertfordshire County Councils transportation survey, carried out to address congestion and road safety problems.

A huge 75 per cent of pollsters voted in favour of a by-pass to divert traffic from the town centre, and the same number gave the green light to a strategy encouraging greater use of public transport and better parking.

Traffic calming measures for rat-run routes also won majority backing in the February poll, with 60 per cent support.

Chairman of the county councils environment committee Brian York said: We thank all those who took time to complete the questionnaire. The response was much higher than we expected and the report shows that the issues listed in our survey struck a strong chord.

It is clear that most people strongly favour the idea of a relief road, but there is almost an equal level of support for the other strategies we put forward.

Most survey respondents indicated concern over vehicle speeds and rat-running as well as school-related traffic jams, pedestrian safety and gridlock on the main London Road/Cambridge Road.

Vice chairman of the committee Michael Moore said: This has been the very first stage in the consultation process and it gives us a good picture of what local people think needs to be done.

We can now look more closely at the ideas we put forward with a view to presenting more detailed ideas for consultation with local people in due course.

A total of 1,600 questionnaires were handed out to a 50 per cent sample of residents and 1,000 peak-hour motorists.

The findings will be considered by the county councils environment committee later this year.

Sawbridgeworth Town Council will pass its views to the committee this month.

Copies of the full document are available for viewing at Sawbridgeworth Library or County Hall, Hertford.

l Would a bypass solve Sawbridgeworths traffic problems, or not? Would it just be an eyesore?

Ring the Citizen on 01992 572285 with your views or write to the editor at 8 Simon Campion Court, High Street, Epping. CM16 4AU.

Converted for the new archive on 30 June 2000.Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.