The roundabout at the top of Marlow Hill has been an irritating place to negotiate for many years. Rush hour in Wycombe always meant a bit of traffic congestion at the Handy Cross junction, particularly coming from the Marlow bypass end. I have also heard people from outside of the area call the place confusing' and frightening'.

So, when plans to improve' the area were revealed I thought any change would be for the better. I was wrong. Since millions of our taxpayer pounds and months of effort have been invested in the roundabout and surrounding road junctions, the place has become what can only be described as a complete nightmare.

I want to know who is ultimately responsible for these improvements'. Where are the civil engineers, the planners and the council decision makers now that the full misery of the situation has been revealed? I would like to ask the designers of this sorry mess if they have ever tried using this road system during rush hour (the rush' does extend far longer than the proverbial hour around Handy Cross). Do they honestly think with hindsight that a few extra random lanes and a traversing carriageway through the middle of the already confusing' and overworked' roundabout would mean a better or more efficient flow of traffic from all directions? Or are they, as I imagine, sniggering into their blueprints over coffee - saying well it looked pretty on paper'.

I think that every one of them should be made accountable at a very visible level to the general public; a paying public who have to suffer the idiocy of these experts' decision to improve' Handy Cross. Maybe the culprits could be made to stand at the access and exit points of Handy Cross in all weathers - every rush hour, morning and night - wearing a fluorescent jacket of course that has printed on the reverse I AM SORRY'.

They should be forced to atone for their bad judgement by directing the traffic on and off of the roundabout - because let's face it - the traffic light sequencing is worse than useless. The lack of yellow hatching at each junction causes crisscross traffic to build up and the lovely traversing carriageway across the middle means the whole area becomes gridlocked at the slightest escalation in traffic. Throw in an accident further along the motorway (a Monday speciality of late) or perchance some minor road works in the vicinity and chaos ensues.

As local drivers who need to pass through this area for work or school, (it would never be for fun) we can take advanced road etiquette into our own hands. We could perhaps pretend that there is yellow hatching in front of each junction that we should avoid if the exit is not clear. We could demonstrate immense degrees of patience and reserve when faced with the tenth traffic light change whilst we remain stationary and we could try to resist the urge to squeeze onto the roundabout on an amber light'. Yes, I say we could take an amount of dutiful responsibility - but first we deserve an apology.

Someone or some department must take responsibility for this mess. Our local taxes paid for this farce of a highway and I for one want my money back. I demand that the problems of congestion in this area are resolved before the situation becomes untenable. With the imminent completion of the Eden Project in the town centre, traffic in the Wycombe area must surely be set to increase this spring.

Joy Cooper, Amersham Road, High Wycombe