Letters: Greenways crackdown will drive motorists to despair

Created at public cost, the council-owned Lothian Buses uses bus lanes at no cost.

As for First Bus, what does it contribute? This for-profit private company, which at the first sign of hard times withdraws services from those who need them the most, contributes nothing and gains much from Greenways.

So how about charging First £30 per day per bus and use that money to preserve rural bus services?

Currently motorists cut, quite sensibly, into bus lanes near junctions or to turn left, thereby saving a little time and congestion. How long will it be before the first fines are applied to vehicles entering Greenways to park in legitimate spaces or simply wanting to clear a junction?

This type of over-regulation simply makes things worse.

John Byrn, Seventh Street, Newtongrange

Downturn is here for some time yet

THE latest GDP figures showing that the UK is officially back into recession make for grim reading – particularly for the construction sector.

In the first quarter of this year, construction has seen a decline of three per cent, making it a main contributor to the overall decline of 0.2 per cent

Unfortunately, this decline comes as no surprise to the Scottish Building Federation, confirming what our members are telling us about the situation on the ground across Scotland. We fear this recession period may be with us for some time to come.

The Scottish building industry has shed more than 40,000 jobs in the last five years, with some areas losing up to 45 per cent of their construction workforce.

This is catastrophic for individuals, communities and an industry that generates around ten per cent of Scotland’s GDP.

These figures make the Chancellor of the Exchequer’s decision not to respond to the request of the Scottish Government to accelerate £300 million of “shovel-ready” capital infrastructure projects in Scotland look even more short-sighted.

Michael Levack, chief executive, Scottish Building Federation, Edinburgh

Nothing to hide about salaries

YOUR report on public sector salaries (‘Rich list’ shows 7-figure pay deals for city officials, News, April 25) may leave some readers with the impression that such information is generally withheld. In fact, a public report to council last June gave full details of salaries and pension contributions for our senior officers.

The profiles of the council’s senior management team on our website also detail their salaries as well as their responsibilities. I fully appreciate the public interest in knowing both.

Sue Bruce, chief executive, Edinburgh City Council

Blame Labour for Sick Kids pains

WE would all like to see the Sick Kids get direct public funding as Margo MacDonald suggests (News, April 24).

That is precisely what the Scottish Government had planned to do – but that became impossible when its capital budget was cut by 30 per cent.

Every penny of that cut was drawn up by the UK Labour Government and then implemented by the Tories. Labour politicians now suggest the use of borrowing powers – powers which don’t yet exist, and which Labour refused to give the Scottish Parliament!

Your article reports delays in concluding a land deal with Consort. It was of course the then Labour Secretary of State for Scotland who signed the disastrous private finance deal with Consort for the new Edinburgh Royal Infirmary, Labour who denied the Scottish Parliament borrowing powers and Labour who cut the Scottish capital budget by 30 per cent.

Jim Eadie, MSP for Edinburgh Southern