‘Don’t drive services and cabs away from Barnsbury’

• THE photograph, above, shows traffic in Islington Park Street on a random mid-morning, queueing for the Upper Street lights.

About half will turn left and half will head east, through Canonbury Square and then turning right onto New North Road to Essex Road and points further east and south.

It’s a genuine main road! Soon to be blocked off by Islington Council in the proposed Barnsbury-Laycock LN, living neighbourhood.

If this LN goes ahead in its current form, the loss of this key east-west route, and the other three access roads linking Barnsbury to Upper Street and points east, will mean that all that traffic will head up Liverpool Road, join a huge queue at the lights there, eventually turning right on to Holloway Road, and join the even bigger queue for Highbury Corner and points east.

More congestion.

More pollution.

And slower buses (that carry the majority).

The stress on essential deliveries, taxis and services, and the burden on those actually living on the boundary roads – especially Liverpool Road – cannot be justified.

Please leave open this one cross-­borough east-west route, and egress/entry for Barnsbury residents in their ubers and (Heaven forbid) cars. Don’t drive services and cabs away from Barnsbury.

I am convinced most of this traffic is commercial and essential, and not locals doing short journeys. No one drives in London any more unless they really have to. It’s not just going to evaporate and be replaced by the young men on their bikes.

PAUL DALE, N1