LAST Monday, I travelled from Banbury to Kidlington on the M40, at just after 1pm.

The road itself was clear and traffic moved smoothly. After about five miles the electronic information signs warned of a 40mph speed limit, with no information as to why.

All became clear a little further on when we met three lanes of rapidly slowing traffic.

This carried on as we approached the exits to Silverstone, Northampton and the services.

It soon became apparent that the backlog of traffic at these exits was causing the problem, added to by travellers who obviously didn’t know the road and tagged onto the inside lane, while the overhead electronic signs indicated “congestion”.

Is it beyond the wisdom of whoever controls these electronic signs that they could type in the advice: “Traffic using off ramps use inside lane – all other traffic the centre and outside lanes.”

It took an hour to cover barely 20 miles, and, as we approached the A34 connection near Bicester, there was a massive backlog of traffic on the northbound side. Obviously, for the same reason.

A little more effort and forward planning is required, if that’s not too much to ask.

On a serious note, how difficult would it have been for an emergency vehicle to negotiate the jam?

KEN ROPER, Morton Avenue, Kidlington