Letters: State-run public transport would be just the ticket

Again we are offered the age-old excuse of a “challenging” economic climate, high fuel prices and funding cuts.

I cannot be the only one sick and tired of hearing excuses like this.

One of the problems quickly brought about by the privatisation of the transport industry was when it became evident that the operators handed gold-plated routes in the form of what effectively was a franchise were here just to do one thing, which was make as much money as possible. This is rapidly becoming obvious here.

The services under fire appear to be the ones that only ever ran between school runs in a vain bid to drain money out of the people of the Lothians in a bid to make a quick buck.

Ironically, I see now plans are being drawn up for a state-run bus service.

Maybe it’s time for the whole of the transport industry to come back under the control of the state.

Richie Veitch, South Lorne Place, Leith, Edinburgh

City’s beautiful look under threat

IN light of the shocking and scandalous news that dozens of Edinburgh’s A-listed buildings are “at risk” (News, April 3), it beggars belief how such a sad state of affairs has arisen.

Edinburgh quite rightly has a reputation for being a city of classic and contrasting architecture, but this could be so easily lost if the appropriate action is not taken.

This situation is all the more unacceptable when you take into consideration the fact that millions have been spent – or squandered, depending on your point of view – on a controversial trams system.

Angus McGregor, Albion Road, Edinburgh

Haymarket not a Lib Dem idea

MARTIN Hannan cannot be allowed to get away with wrongly accusing the Liberal Democrat group on the council of making “a bigger mess of things with a tram line that stopped at Haymarket” (News, April 3)

That was the prerogative of Labour and Conservative councillors. The Liberal Democrats did not vote for the trams to stop at Haymarket and have never supported such a ridiculous idea.

Cllr Jenny Dawe, leader, Edinburgh City Council

Shale like a vein search by addict

I WAS amused by Clark Cross’s letter extolling the benefits of shale gas (April 3).

His claim that America now gets 30 per cent of its gas supply from shale gas ignores the reality that 13 states now have full or partial bans on fracking for the gas, and in Europe France and Bulgaria have full bans.

Communities which have welcomed the gas companies have found their water supplies contaminated and small earthquakes in the areas. And that’s before we mention the carbon emissions from continuing to use gas!

The fossil fuel industry’s desperate search for shale gas is like a drug addict’s attempts to find a last usable vein.

John Nichol, Wardlaw Place, Edinburgh

Council is still doing rubbish job

FURTHER to the letter from me you published (March 29), I received an e-mail from a recycling advisory officer advising me that indeed there appeared to be an error in providing extra food waste bins but that these had now been picked up.

I replied that yes, four of the bins had been collected from my stair, leaving two behind, but others in the street had not been collected at all. The incompetence continues.

E Jolly, Restalrig Drive, Edinburgh