By Rashleigh MacFarlane

A decision is imminent about the Truro “Quiet Lanes” project which sought to discourage motorists from using narrow country roads as a “rat run” to reach the city centre.

Cornwall Council’s cabinet member for transport, councillor Philip Desmonde, will be asked to rule on whether an Experimental Traffic Regulation Order (ETRO) has been a success and should be continued.

The ETRO tried to encourage walkers, cyclists and horse-riders by asking motorists to find alternative routes.

But a majority of comments on the council’s “Let’s Talk” website call for the scheme to be abandoned because the council has never made any attempt to enforce its ETRO.

County Hall simply erected a few signs and watched to see what happened, claiming enforcement was a matter for the police.  The police said they had better things to do.

Some local residents now want physical barriers to deter motorists.

In 2020 the council received £607,000 from the government’s Active Travel fund to support walking and cycling projects which will help to improve the health of visitors and residents, and combat climate change.

Truro’s “Quiet Lanes” is one of the projects which has benefitted from this funding.  It is not known how the money has been spent, but there is a growing suspicion among local residents that what started as a six-month scheme has been repeatedly extended, by stealth, simply to absorb the budget.

The council’s failure to enforce its ETRO has seen motorists continue to use the lanes as a rat run, avoiding the heavily congested A390.  The council is thought likely to lack the political courage to follow the example of other cities and introduce congestion charging.

The council told Cornwall Reports:  “The council is currently considering the outcomes of recent traffic monitoring and in discussion with local members and transport portfolio on the way forward for the trial measures – it is envisaged an update will be provided in early October 2022.

The Truro Quiet Lanes scheme became operational in September last year and initially was supposed to last only six months.

The project said it would “improve the health and fitness of residents and visitors, and tackle climate change, by promoting walking and cycling projects and encouraging more people to leave their cars at home.”

But despite continuing the scheme for a further six months, council officials have failed to find any evidence that any of these worthy ambitions have been realised.

Instead, County Hall appears to have simply angered both local residents and motorists.

“The council is currently analysing the data collected throughout the trial, and ultimately any decision on making the Order permanent, amended or abandoned will be subject of a Transport Portfolio holder decision as and when a formal recommendation has been made by officers,” said County Hall.

rashleighmacfarlane@cornwallreports.co.uk