Councillor Peter Willows believes "a mist appears when the council starts talking about transport" (Letters, October 29).

Judging by his comments, it looks as though he has been lost in his own personal thick fog for months.

Councillor Willows appears not to have read Environment Committee reports on transport issues or, indeed, Brighton and Hove City Council's Local Transport Plan (LTP), which sets out what this council has done and what it will continue to do in future to reduce congestion, improve road safety and air quality and provide greater accessibility.

He appears not to have noticed that the council has won several awards over the past year for transport, including National Transport Authority Of The Year 2005.

He also appears not to have noticed the council is already proceeding with a bus-based, limited-stop Rapid Transport System to link Brighton and Hove railway stations with the seafront running from Brighton Marina to the King Alfred.

Councillor Willows' comparisons with towns such as Crawley are meaningless because Brighton and Hove has several unique factors which have contributed to problems with congestion and parking.

Our city is the fifth most densely populated area in the South East, with a large number of properties - higher than the national average - having being converted into multi-occupancy flats.

Many houses which 25 years ago were a single household with one car are today typically three households with several cars.

Our city is a major tourist destination, attracting millions each year, with the Palace Pier ranking as one of the top five tourist attractions in the UK. All these factors have contributed to the significant pressure on car parking spaces.

Councillor Willows accuses the council of "strangling the business community". In fact, the council works closely with large and medium-sized employers in order to ensure our transport priorities meet their economic needs.

He presumes that access to shops and services is dependent on a private car. It isn't. People travel to the shops by bus, cycle or on foot.

Councillor Willows proposes that the council should build more car parks in the city centre. This would increase the volume of traffic and so increase congestion for all road users - the very thing which residents and visitors say discourages them from coming into our city centre.

Councillor Craig Turton, deputy chair, Environment Committee,

-Brighton and Hove City Council