SAFETY fears have renewed moves to ban traffic from a "quiet lane" at Hindhead, which follows the original line of the A3.

After the traffic scheme to re-route the old A3 was completed last year, BOAT (Byway Open To All Traffic) 500 remained open to all vehicles in theory.

The designated "quiet lane", a single carriageway wide enough for one car, runs from opposite the Devil's Punch Bowl café, along the rim of the Surrey Hills on Gibbet Hill, and down to the old A3 at the Hindhead Youth Hostel entrance road.

Cyclists can use it coming off the road at the Punch Bowl.

Part of the problem is its easy access. The hard surfaced byway is shared with walkers, and there are safety concerns for them, runners and anyone on the path, such as wheelchair users and people pushing prams.

Haslemere Border Athletics Club chairman Andrew Wareham wrote to Matt Cusack, National Trust head ranger for Hindhead, calling for urgent action to close the lane to all "motorised traffic" to avoid danger to runners, pedestrians and cyclists.

For full story, see this week's Haslemere Herald.