Saltash residents will be given the chance to comment on proposals to shake up their road system in a bid to counteract long established traffic problems. The announcement came only days before an 11-year-old boy was badly injured in a road accident in Callington Road.

The young pedestrian, from Saltash, received two broken legs, a broken arm and head injuries in the accident, in Callington Road, on Monday morning around 8.20am. He was taken to Derriford hospital, Plymouth, and later underwent surgery, after being involved in a collision with a car. Police are appealing for witnesses to the incident.

The road proposals - put forward by the county council - involve parking zones, cutting speed limits, introducing cycle lanes and improving footways. They also take in new roundabouts at the junctions of Callington Road and Church Road, Church Road and Fairway and Liskeard Road and Fairmead Road to help traffic flow - while cycle lanes could be of great advantage for those deciding to rely on two wheels.

The speed limits on New Road, Liskeard Road and North Road, set at 40mph, had worried experts studying the problems, as had the heavy traffic that besets Fore Street, and the number of accidents that occur in the centre part of town. It is thought siting residents' parking zones in the middle of Saltash, as well as on the waterfront, may be able to solve some of the congestion worries - and 20mph limits throughout the town could be a way of tackling the speeding concerns. Options to restrict traffic in the Guildhall/Alexandra Square area have also been raised, as well as the use of extra parking restrictions in some areas, linked to the relaxation of such restrictions elsewhere.

The suggestions will be exhibited in Saltash library on February 10 from 9.30am-5pm, on February 11 from 9.30am-7pm and on February 12 from 9.30am-12.30pm. The proposals have been welcomed by Eric Lewis, local councillor and new leader of Caradon council. He said he town has been asking for a transport strategy for over 11 years, and he was pleased to see the county is moving in the right direction by striving to get to grips with the traffic problems.

However, he said, that some of the statistics used were based partly on l99l census figures, which worries the town council as they are therefore under-estimates.

Any witnesses to the accident should contact MPC Bulley at Bodmin traffic centre.