In last week's paper Brinley Morris commented on the proposed traffic reversal scheme which has now been shelved. He observed that the proposal would have "reduced traffic in the main street by 30%." Not so - some important words are missing.

The actual quote is taken from an Arup report of 2000 which predicted that " reversal of traffic flow in and the closure of Church Street car park would together reduce traffic along the main street to 30% of the existing." The closure of the car park would have been key to the success of the scheme. You could probably get a significant drop in traffic just by closing the car park without reversing the flow.

The Town Centre Forum has been discussing possible ways of reducing traffic in the main street for nearly a year now. The police refuse to enforce the existing traffic order. We are told that a rising bollard is not practical. The idea of instituting two way flow was not welcomed. The reversal of traffic alone has been shelved. The Forum has suggested new signs to spell out the existing traffic restrictions more clearly but they have not been installed.

The result has been another year of misery as one tries to walk down the main street, choking on the exhaust, and avoiding moving and parked cars and lorries. No one seems to take any notice of the restrictions.

We all have to find a solution or Falmouth's main street will die as a shopping street, we will lose key retailers and the town will fall behind in attracting tourists. We have to find an answer which works and can be enforced; then we need to push the county council to deliver.

So far all of our discussions have generated hot air but no solution. In these circumstances it is hard not to have sympathy with Colin Jarvis's remark that Falmouth does not speak with one voice. But where will that voice come from Carrick, the Town Council, the Infrastructure Working Group or the Town Centre Forum?

We have to put some of the ideas back on the agenda: let's explore a number plate recognition system, a rising bollard or lifting barrier to enforce the present traffic order. Let's even consider closing Church Street car park. We have to find an answer which will gain majority support. Whatever happens, let's commit to doing something to reduce traffic in the main street before next summer.

Jonathan Griffin, Trevellan Road, Mylor Bridge