I READ with interest your recent article regarding the short cut that motorists were using in Botley.

We have the same dangerous problem in the Headington/Cowley area.

There is a service road on the eastern by-pass that runs directly past the main gate into BMW. This service road was certainly never intended to be used as an alternative to the ring road.

Traffic lights at the Horspath Road junction are linked to this service road and of course a drag race entails each time cars and vans that use this short cut attempt to beat traffic in the direction of the Watlington roundabout.

I would think that BMW are not happy either, having traffic racing past their main gate at high speed, as visitors and staff attempt to leave the Cowley site safely.

The simple solution to this ongoing problem would be to alter the traffic light sequence of this busy junction.

Perhaps the best possible solution, though, would be to update the use of this service road into an approach road. This would give direct access into the BMW site, but perhaps with controlled traffic lights or even bollards which can be lowered to enable traffic to continue past the factory gates when needed or in an emergency.

As our councils can, despite austerity, still find tens of thousands of pounds for more cycle lanes, along with the impending road narrowing at The Plain, then I’m sure that working with BMW into finding a safe solution to the lethal drag racing that is now a common occurance each day on this service road will be no problem at all.

RICHARD ANDERSON Woodfarm Road Headington