THE new Waveney MP Peter Aldous has backed fresh calls for a Bungay bypass following a road traffic accident in the town centre.A cyclist was injured when she was knocked off her bike by an HGV on Sunday while cycling down St Mary's Street, a road in the town centre that is notoriously dangerous.

THE new Waveney MP Peter Aldous has backed fresh calls for a Bungay bypass following a road traffic accident in the town centre.

A cyclist was injured when she was knocked off her bike by an HGV on Sunday while cycling down St Mary's Street, a road in the town centre that is notoriously dangerous.

The incident has reinvigorated the campaign for a north to south bypass that would divert traffic away from the narrow roads of the historic town centre, and yesterday Mr Aldous voiced his support of the idea.

“Bungay, to be brutally honest, desperately needs a north to south bypass and has done for several years,” he said. “I think it suffers compared to most Waveney valley market towns. I think it really affects the town in terms of safety, the effect on historic buildings and the economy in terms of the shopping centre.”

However Mr Aldous stressed that there were issues with cost and the environmental impact of a bypass in the countryside surrounding the town, and that interim solutions could be sought. Suffolk County Council is currently looking into the possibility of setting up a one-way system in the town centre, which Mr Aldous believes might be a good measure in the meantime.

“My view is that it is something that should be looked at and should be put out to consultation so that everyone could have a look at the scheme,” he said.

Shirley Russell, of Upper Olland Street, who witnessed the accident, said that a one-way system would only move the traffic problems elsewhere in the town. “I would urge all Beccles and Bungay readers to encourage Mr Aldous to scrap his support for a one-way system and to push for a proper north to south bypass,” she said. “At the very least Bungay needs an HGV ban.”

Another man who saw the aftermath of the accident was Charles Lombard, priest at St Edmund's Church and a resident of St Mary's Street. He said he had seen a number of near misses on the road, including one only an hour prior to the accident.

He said he would like to see HGVs banned from the town centre, and that he thought a one-way system would be helpful.

“I personally favour a clockwise one way system plus some traffic humps and a width pinch,” he said. “Also a 20 mph speed limit because cars are still going too fast. A 15 minute parking strip on the left would be better than the present ignored yellow line. I fear it is only a matter of time before someone, most likely a child, is killed.”

A spokesperson for Suffolk County Council said there would hopefully be an exhibition regarding a possible one-way system in Bungay this year.