SPEED cut call for town roads (Times, July 30). Well, 20mph around town, at last the traffic is going to move.

Is that a promise?

As Derek Godfrey-Brown stated in his letter (July 30) it is not unusual to spend 40 minutes trying to get through the town. It is often quicker for me to drive to Exeter's Sainsbury's to shop than to try to shop in town.

This hair-brained idea is going to do nothing to help the town's economy, nor will it improve the quality of people's lives in town.

Despite Devon County Council saying that there is not a problem with traffic in the town anyone who lives here, or visits the town, knows the truth.

No-one wants people to be killed on the roads in town, and to my knowledge, this isn't a problem in Okehampton, but any problems are probably not being helped by drivers' frustration at spending a lot of wasted time sitting in traffic jams caused by too much traffic, badly positioned supermarkets, badly timed traffic lights and a lack of another route around the town.

Maybe some residents have been complaining, but how much of the traffic they are complaining about is due to the increase of traffic in the town and the other reasons I mentioned?

Also these restrictions will apply 24 hours a day, not just when people are around.

Far more of a risk to people are the 'access ramps' which sprang up in town. Most people seem to think that these are zebra crossings and step out, or push their pushchairs in front of vehicles, without looking, thinking they have the right to do so.

Most, if not all, of these problems have been caused by decisions made by both local and county councils.

Do we really want another one of their daft ideas to slow the town down further? What will happen once these extra 900 houses are added to the problem?

Maybe this idea has been brought up to deflect some of the unwanted attention that the councils have been getting regarding the large housing developments? The problems caused by an extra 900 families will not be solved by 20mph signs around the town!

Whatever the reason, think hard before Okehampton is totally strangled and permanently at a standstill!

Mrs Y Street

29 Saddlers Way

Okehampton