Cycle lane move is a kneejerk reaction

We are now seeing a raft of red and white bollards appearing on Gosforth High Street as part of the council’s social distancing efforts.

They have marked out a wide lane at the side of the road, ultimately to be on each side of the High Street, presumably, as an extra-wide cycle lane.

This has left a single carriageway on each side of the High Street for motor vehicles.

Has the council given any thought to how this will impinge on the emergency services at peak times.

Previously if an emergency vehicle was blue-lighting along the High Street other traffic could move in to the nearside to allow them to pass by rapidly.

These new bollards sprouting up like a rash will prevent vehicles from doing that.

Therefore, at peak times when the traffic is barely moving emergency services will be locked in to the queue of vehicles, unable to get past and thus possibly endangering life.

This knee-jerk reaction to Covid-19 is ill thought out. How did we all manage to socialdistance for the past few months?

Is this action all really necessary? Or is it a chance that the council and the Government are grabbing that chance to install cycle lanes which, once here, will never be removed? The thin end of the wedge.

Are these arrangements also appearing along other local high streets and shopping areas? Will a rethink and possible U-turn be necessary, just as in Gateshead with the changes made to the highway? DAVID WARDELL, Gosforth