CHANGES to Keighley's town-centre road network in a bid to beat congestion are once again in the spotlight.

Bradford Council has revealed that the widening of North Street and the creation of an extra bus station exit are now set to go ahead within months – much sooner than expected.

The news has been welcomed this week by senior councillors and retail bosses.

But it will also open-up debate about the extent to which the measures, which let's face it are not huge on the scale of things, will improve traffic flows.

Everyone has been in agreement for years that the town's vehicular congestion, particularly at peak times, is horrendous.

How you tackle the issue is not quite as straightforward and it is a dilemma which isn't easy to solve, particularly in these days of austerity.

Many advocate a major scheme such as a bypass, but in reality that would take decades to reach fruition – if it were to ever happen at all – and the cost would be astronomical.

So perhaps that leaves us with 'tinkering' as an only option.

If so, it is all the more important that schemes which are brought in are effective.

The widening of North Street has some merit, but you have to question the level of improvement it will bring about and whether it won't simply shift the problem further along the road.

Maybe the long-talked-about one-way system, if that eventually sees the light, will provide some solutions?