Christopher George’s letter (“Bus station would help”, Opinion, 9/9) is dead right – a central bus station would not simply help, but is vital now if Watford is not to grind to a halt from congestion.

Past attempts by highway planners have been tinkering around the edges, and have inevitably failed, or, in the case of the Watford Junction fiasco, made things even worse.

But each day, the volume of traffic in and around the town increases, and the quality of our lives declines.

Mr. George describes his earlier letter as ‘tongue in cheek’, but here are some proposals that are not only serious, but also practical.… given the necessary political will.

First, we need a bus station within the ring road. The council feebly allowed the current intu extention to go ahead without demanding that a bus station be incorporated.

There is another opportunity now with the Wellstones site, currently used as a surface pay car park, which is woefully under-used. It adjoins the ring road and access and exit for buses should be via it. Go to Northampton to see how a busy and efficient bus station can be integrated into existing road systems with minimal land use.

Second, all roads inside the ring road should be pedestrianised – this would include parts of Clarendon Road, High Street and Market Street.

Access to properties would be by existing service roads to the rear. This would give us a town centre free from buses, lorries and through traffic.

Go to Chichester to see how it works and also improves the city’s amenities; talk to their Chamber of Commerce to hear the financial benefits for shops and businesses.

Third, build a multi-storey car park at Watford Junction on the site of the misconceived bus yard.

The car park should incorporate provision for taxis on the lower levels, thereby removing the current chaos on Clarendon Road and Station Road.

Buses serving the station can use bus-only lanes which can be devised within a widened highway layout immediately in front of the station. Again, go to Northampton to see how a main artery can serve through-traffic as well as buses at their railway station.

Fourth, the existing dysfunctionally-located station car park will no longer be needed. This large area can be allocated for much-needed housing development.

Fifth, we need Park and Ride facilities on the outskirts of the town adjacent to Junctions 5 and 6 of the M1 and Junction 20 of the M25.

These have been proposed before and rejected, but the only way to avoid the slow strangulation of our town is by keeping unnecessary traffic out.

Yes, we lose Green Belt land, but we have got to provide alternative means of getting into town.

We would need dedicated bus lanes along Stephenson Way and Hempstead Road. Go to Oxford to see how they have dealt with the same problems as our’s through out of town Park and Ride facilities and marvellous buses. No one needs to drive into Oxford now. Everyone wins.

All this, of course, will cost a lot of money.

But, more than money, it needs a political will and the vision to see a solution to the problems which are the legacy of past generations of ‘do nothing’ councillors.

But unless today’s councillors do something about our problems now, they will also deserve the opprobrium of future generations of Watford townsfolk.

Anthony Bramley-Harker, Hibbert Avenue, Watford