The photos were snapped at the same time on five different mornings at five different locations across the city centre.

They will paint a picture familiar to any motorist, commuter or shopper struggling through Preston's clogged arteries at almost any time of the day.

This week the chairman of Preston's Vision Board Dr Malcolm McVicar announced the possibility of a new bus terminal at the railway station in a bid to ferry passengers, coming into the city, around on buses and ease city centre traffic.

It could be, he says, the first step towards a car-free future for the city.

But for anyone trapped on roads such as London Road, Eastway and Blackpool Road, fighting with thousands of other cars coming off the M6 into the city, that notion seems a long way off.

Today the Evening Post asks what can be done about Preston's deepening road mayhem – and we want your input.

Miles of traffic travels through Preston's city centre every day but thanks to roadworks, traffic lights and the school run, traffic jams are never far away.

And the city's traffic police told the Evening Post earlier this year even the slightest two-car shunt can prompt virtual meltdown on the roads.

Business guru Frank McKenna, chairman of Downtown Preston in Business, is calling for city leaders to hold a serious debate about the issue.
He added: "We really need to have a debate about the future of car use in and out of Preston city centre.

"If Tithebarn is going to take place, now is the time to sit down and come up with a blueprint for getting traffic around."

He said the city's business leaders and council bosses need to develop a "strategic approach" to transport instead of the "hit and miss" approach of bringing in individual initiatives such as park and ride.

"Whenever we see the issue of transport mentioned there never seems to be a comprehensive debate about what should happen," he added.

Aiden Turner-Bishop, of the Campaign for Better Transport, said: "We need to reduce the demand for cars so people don't have to have them and the way to do that is the way they do it on the continent in places like Germany and Switzerland.

"In Zurich everyone uses the trams for example.

"We also need to make the school run more attractive by promoting walking or cycling and better public transport."

Do you agree with the experts? Join the debate at www.lep.co.ukand let us know what you think should be done to solve Preston's traffic nightmare.

E-mail your traffic pictures and nightmare stories to lep.newsdesk@lep.co.uk or text your pictures to 07840 669770, making sure you type LEPDESK, then a space, then any information in the message.