Members of the public are being invited to a meeting tomorrow night to discuss the traffic problems at a well-known Smith's trouble spot - and possible solutions.

Smith's Parish Council has invited Government Ministers and Opposition MPs to the meeting so residents can hear any proposals that have been put forward about the Collector's Hill junction.

Chairman Lee Hall said the meeting was designed to share information and to enable residents and business owners to make suggestions and raise concerns.

He said: "We don't want to point fingers of blame, or dwell on what has happened in the past. We'd rather be part of a solution."

The Ministers of Works, Housing, Transport, and Health have been invited to attend.

Last night Works Minister Alex Scott said he was unsure whether he would be able to make the meeting, but said his department was already looking at ways to tackle the traffic issues on the South Shore.

He said he intended to organise a presentation outlining the four or five options drawn up to deal with the issue, but he first wanted to show it to commercial stakeholders in the area, and then to residents.

Mr. Scott said business people in the area would have to support any proposal if it was to become a reality as changes to the road layout in the area would directly affect the Collector's Hill retailers.

He said: "We are well on the way with the Collector's Hill junction. We have responded to the parish council and will be inviting them to a presentation of the various options we have prepared.

"We have met with (political) representatives from the area and the next step is to meet with the commercial stakeholders in the area. It requires their consultation, cooperation and sign off. We have to have buy-in from the people."

Mr. Scott said he believed it would be premature to give a presentation to the council tomorrow, before the businesses had had an opportunity to express their opinions on the options, but he said he hoped the matter would make progress in the next few weeks.

"All of the proposals deal with the issue of the traffic at Collector's Hill. We have analysed the problems and then tried to give solutions, but they are not engraved in granite," said Mr. Scott.

"If the public don't buy it, then we won't move forward. We might not please everyone, but we will need a large consensus.

"The options are varied. Some require some purchase of land, but others require just a redirecting of the traffic.

"Traffic flows have been considered and Police accident records have been considered.

"But now we are going to be listening very closely to what the residents and businesses have to say."

The meeting tomorrow night will start at 7 p.m. and will be held at the Centenary Methodist Church Hall.

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For more information, call Mr. Hall on 295-3422