Somebody sat at a drawing board and designed the new Victoria Gateway at Southend.

I would love to know who.

Was it a traffic engineer, a qualified and experienced expert in planning road layouts?

Was it officers within Southend Council?

Or was it a group of councillors who, in all probability, are neither qualified nor experienced?

Somebody dreamed up the original concept. Somebody must have been convinced it would all work and be an improvement, welcomed by bus passengers, pedestrians, cyclists and car drivers.

Somebody ought to be willing to own up.

Meanwhile I, living just two miles north of this new modification, will avoid Southend like the plague.

I might just consider going in by train and then dodging the traffic as I walk to the High Street. I could take the bus, particularly as I have a free bus pass.

I wouldn’t even think of driving my car in. In fact, taken all round, I don’t think I’ll bother.

I’ll go to Chelmsford instead, either by bus or using the park-and-ride scheme.

John Stanton
Leicester Avenue
Rochford