PETER Sissons (Oxford Mail ViewPoints, June 23) says he doubts anyone has ever seen pedestrians or cyclists cross the A420 at the Botley interchange.

As a local resident and a regular user of that junction in my car, I have seen a number of people try to cross the road at this point.

I have also crossed here occasionally when cycling to and from the Wytham direction.

I see the installation of these lights as a boon for anyone trying to cross, particularly from Wytham going south.

My experience of crossing here has been hair-raising, to say the very least, as the sightlines from the middle of the A420 gave a very poor view of the right-hand lane of the roundabout.

It meant you ran the risk of moving across in front of a car doing around 40 mph aiming to go up the hill towards Cumnor.

That, allied to cars coming off the A34 going that way, meant you could wait 10 minutes to be able to cross anywhere near safely.

In response to his other point about the traffic delays that are occurring, I seem to remember the same claim being levelled at the Hinksey junction when lights were installed there, until the timings were tweaked to allow a freer flow of traffic around that junction.

Furthermore, having sat in a queue for 15 minutes in the past to go north on a clear A34, I am sure they will help the flow of traffic in Botley Road in time.

Perhaps Mr Sissons should try the bus or a bike for his journey, rather than help clog up the roundabout.

I believe that the problems surrounding the Botley junction would have been improved had planning permission been given for a link road to the Seacourt park-and-ride centre a number of years ago.

GARY BUTLER, Yarnell’s Road, Botley