• KEITH MacFarlane is right about the need for change to avoid a climate crisis (I might even become a vegetarian! September 2) but he, and many others, are deluded if they really believe forcing traffic to seek alternative, much longer, routes to destinations will reduce carbon emissions: just the opposite.

Forcing vehicles to double journey times to destinations will increase pollution not reduce it. At the same time the number of cars, vans, and lorries on the roads of Camden is increasing, and will continue to every day.

Why? Because the population is growing and growing. Within the past three days I have passed sites which have been, or will be, given planning permission for approximately 4,000+ new homes; work on the Morrisons site off Chalk Farm Road is under way; applications to build new residential accommodation are in the pipeline for Murphy’s Yard; the one for the O2 Centre is being worked on; commercial units between St Pancras Way and Royal College Street are being converted into apartment blocks; and work on the St Pancras Hospital site lies ahead.

Although these are going to be “car-free” all will generate vehicle traffic in the form of online shopping deliveries, taxis coming and going, tradespeople visiting to lay carpets, install and repair washing machines, etc. None of these activities can sensibly be undertaken by cyclists.

My suspicion is we will soon be seeing a growing revolt against the kind of “managerialism” that has become to typify much of central and local government thinking. Watch this space… that’s if it hasn’t been turned into a cycle lane!

PETER C LYONS, NW1