Poor communication and planning adding to city’s traffic woes

IT’S been a while since I submitted anything to Mail Box - some people might think I’ve emigrated. Wishful thinking!

I have written a couple of fairly short pieces recently about Hull City and traffic issues in Hull, but that is still pretty thin gruel compared with my normal output.

I think readers want to read stuff about things happening in East Yorkshire, or if letters are about national and international issues, they could at least come from a local resident.

So, I’ll give you a couple of Hull traffic updates.

Firstly, Friday, October 22, around 2.30pm on Freetown Way. It took me over ten minutes in noseto-tail traffic, heading towards the

Beverley Road/ferensway/spring Bank junction. However, I did notice six cyclists using the cycle lanes, although five of them were heading in the other direction – which was almost traffic-free.

When I did get to my destination on Spring Bank I parked up and walked a short distance, almost getting clattered by a cyclist on the pavement. “What about the bike lane?” I said. “Go forth and multiply” came the reply.

Secondly, mixing things up a bit, but still maintaining the local flavour, I went to watch Hull City play Peterborough on Wednesday evening.

It was a very disappointing result, the night being made worse by arriving at the Smith & Nephew roundabout, only to find the slip road on to Clive Sullivan Way was closed ... again!

Now, I know the workmen have a job to do, but don’t you think someone could have given those in charge a Hull City fixture list, highlighting the night matches at the MKM Stadium, so that closure of the slip road could be delayed until about 10.30pm, giving those of us who live east of the River Hull, the chance to get home without unnecessary detours, so that we don’t miss the start of Newsnight?

The same had happened after the Derby game in August. Simple communications needed, eh?

Continuing the Hull City theme, the manager is under considerable pressure right now, and much of the criticism directed towards him seems to revolve around his reluctance to “shuffle the pack”, ie. change the playing formation.

Before we get the manager sacked, could someone clear up the rumour that, while Ehab Allam doesn’t pick the team, he has insisted that the manager employs a 4-3-3 line-up?

If there is any credibility to this rumour, then it gets the manager partially off the hook and begs the question, how can a self-confessed non-footballing person become a tactical genius?

Such a situation would still leave the manager open to accusations of being a “yes man”.

Rob Milner, Hedon.