A ban on right turns from the busy London Road on to Southampton’s ring road is being tested, in a bid by the city council to free up space for streetscene improvements. Southampton introduced the right turn ban last week ahead of work due to start in May on a new, uncluttered design for London Road which reflects contemporary thinking in the highway community. Through-traffic heading to the inner-ring road will be diverted on to an adjacent dual carriageway. The city council plans a new echelon-style layout for on-street parking and to narrow the carriageway with unofficial cycle lanes. It has agreed a £40M, three-year programme to improve the streetscene (Surveyor, 12 May 2005). Cllr ~Jill Baston~ cabinet member for transport, hoped the scheme would ‘increase road safety for pedestrians and cyclists and give London Road a Continental feel, encouraging visitors to visit local shops’.