AGAIN last week the A34 is in the news with accidents involving lorries and we have the same old suggestion that the A34 should be three lanes which will not happen in the near or distant future due to cost and the fact that, without knocking down houses in Botley, it would need a new section of road to bypass Botley.

As far as lorries causing congestion, if on the A34 from Newbury to the M40 junction lorries were restricted to the inside lane (no overtaking) it would help but ultimately with the A34 being the major route from Southampton docks to the Midlands and beyond, all the goods being carried by HGVs could, and should, be on the railways.

The infrastructure is already in place, so therefore cost would be not be an issue. All it needs is someone to give the people running the railways a good shake and get the trains running safely, on time and economically.

If this were done, a large amount of traffic would be taken off the A34 which, in turn, would cut accidents, congestion and pollution. HGVs would only be needed for local deliveries. The A34 problems would be a thing of the past compared with now.

KEITH BROOKS Gateley Horspath