FRUSTRATED residents are still waiting for major traffic and transport improvement work to be completed - more than two and a half years after plans were drawn up.

Although some work has been carried out, such as traffic calming on Bolling Road and the installation of posts for traffic lights, no-one seems to know when everything will be finished.

In April 2001, Bradford Council commissioned Leeds-based transport consultants Oscar Faber to carry out what was supposed to be a five-month consultation and study into what improvements were needed.

A year later and, according to City Hall figures, after receiving £50,000 of council taxpayers' money the consultants, renamed Faber Maunsell, came up with the Ilkley Town Centre Study, in which improvements were suggested.

However, Ilkley residents are still having to put up with the problems they faced in April, 2001. Since then they have been getting worse.

Barbara Davy, of the road safety pressure group, Ilkley Community Against Speeding (ICAS) is still waiting for traffic calming measures on Bolling Road to be completed.

Mrs Davy said: "The speed tables are not completed and we don't know how they are going to complete them."

The ambitious Bolling Road measures have been toned down by highway officials and members of ICAS are not convinced they will work. Mrs Davy said already drivers had been seen speeding in the middle section of the road between traffic calming lights.

But she said that members of ICAS wanted to wait until all the work had been done in places such as Bolling Road and Leeds Road before they passed judgment on them.

Mrs Davy said: "In fairness we want to see it finished before we comment. We are a little bit puzzled as to why they have not done them. We haven't been told the reasons.

A Bradford Council spokeswoman said: "The study was conducted to assess how people and goods move through Ilkley and recommend a draft package of improvement measures to promote the long term environmental, economic and social well-being of the town.

"We have done extensive consultation on traffic measures put forward, including putting on exhibitions and trying to reconcile residents' conflicting points of view.

"As a result of the study, work is being carried out in Wheatley Lane, Bolling Road, Spring Road, and traffic signals on the A65 to manage peak traffic with further safety works to follow.

"Work will start shortly on Station Road, Brook Street and on The Grove next year."

Ilkley Parish Council chairman Kate Brown said: "They have started but not finished traffic calming on Bolling Road. Work on The Grove is due to start after Christmas now because they can't be doing it during the Christmas period.

"It was originally planned for September/October but now it looks as if it is going to be January. It does seem to be taking a long time."

At statement released by Ilkley Civic Society to its members says: "You will have no doubt noticed the slow progress being made at a large number of sites across the town.

"We are concerned about the slow pace of the works, the ambiguity in some places, especially partially installed zebras, and evidence of poor finishing work.

"Because the two gateways on the A65 at Victoria Avenue and Ben Rhydding are key to the whole system, we hesitate to be critical until these are working.

"But why can't they finish one bit before starting another?"

A spokesman for Bradford Council said that even more work was planned but did not offer a timescale of when it would be completed.

"The list of projects currently under way also includes work on waiting restrictions to control all day parking and submission of a rural bus scheme bid for Ilkley and Addingham," said the spokesman.