Calls to ease city's congestion

There are only four main routes into the city

Carlisle's MP Eric Martlew is calling for a study to see if trams could be the solution to congestion problems.

Drivers are facing major delays because of extensive roadworks going on in the city linked to water mains replacement.

Mr Martlew wants the option of trams to be examined as well as plans for a park and ride scheme to be brought forward and a traffic co-ordinator.

Cumbria County Council said it works to keep problems to a minimum and it has schemes to reduce traffic flow.

Mr Martlew said he would like to see the possibility of trams explored.

He said: "I think we should look at a study and see if it will work for Carlisle. It is working for other cities."

Traffic tsar

He said other things to look at were a park and ride and northern relief road schemes.

He said: "What's happened, and partly it is the problem of success of course, we have got a booming economy, more people have cars and Carlisle has benefited from that.

"But we are in a situation now where the slightest accident or road repairs actually creates gridlock."

A Cumbria County Council spokesman said: "In a city like Carlisle where there are only a limited number of main roads serving the centre, any work on the highways network will inevitably cause some delay."

It said the scheme by United Utilities to replace the water mains was extensive and it worked closely with them and other companies on the programming of work.

He said a scheme at Nelson Street would improve traffic flow and in the longer term, the Carlisle Northern Development Route would take traffic out of the city.

It said it had taken steps towards appointing a traffic "tsar".