Letters: Who is driving force behind traffic regulation changes?

It would appear that the council is reviewing the situation regarding bus lanes (News, May 17). Surely it would have been easier than printing and posting out fines for the photographs to be viewed by someone in authority to decide if crossing the corner of a bus lane to enter a side street warranted a fine?

Using the same criteria, as I have a bus lane across my driveway, am I to be banned from using my car during the operating periods of the bus lanes?

We tend to blame councillors for the lack of foresight in bringing in traffic restrictions which don’t work after their introduction.

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My own opinion is that many of these restrictions/alterations are thought up and pushed forward by the traffic planning officials and not given full consideration of their effects by the councillors.

Recently during all the upgrading of roads and installation of double yellow lines on both sides of the Shore in Leith a traffic restriction order has been in place banning traffic other than buses and cyclists from travelling northwards to approach Bernard Street light- controlled crossroads, adding to journey times and delays for other vehicles. Is this a further decision made by officials rather than the elected councillors?

John M Tulloch, Duddingston Park South, Edinburgh

No faith in council prayer recitals

THE very first event in which our elected councillors were forced to participate at their meeting on May 17 was Christian prayers despite a review pending of the legal defensibility of such an imposition.

Furthermore there is still an atavistic legal requirement to appoint three external Christian members to our council education committee.

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It would seem that the rightful freedom to practise religion does not in itself satisfy the individuals involved but extends to an assumption of control over even our shared institutions such as our councils and our schools.

Is this Scotland or Iran?

Neil Barber, Saughtonhall Drive, Edinburgh

Staff on buses are just the ticket

I SPENT a few days in Edinburgh last week and travelled around on buses a lot during this period, and I have nothing but respect and admiration for Edinburgh bus drivers who have had a major upheaval to their job with chaotic diversions forced on them by the council.

I found all of the bus drivers to be very friendly and polite and I have to say did a sterling job in the face of adversity.

Gordon Kennedy, Simpson Square, Perth

Labour grabbing places for power

DAVE Cochrane’s complaint (letters, May 18) about the SNP being in power in many local councils ignores the fact that the SNP had more votes and many more councillors in Scotland than Labour in the recent election.

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He should be more disappointed that Labour has gone into coalition with the Tories in many nearby councils such as East Lothian, West Lothian, Fife, Falkirk and Stirling in order to obtain high salaries and perks.

Also where Labour has sole control of the council as in North Lanarkshire they have grabbed all the places on Cosla, not spreading this according to various party strengths as recommended, in order to use Cosla to attack the Scottish government rather than working in partnership to benefit the people of Scotland.

Calum Stewart, Montague Street, Edinburgh

Double-barrelled One o’Clock Gun

WITH the current recession on and only getting worse by the month, it is clear we need to bring more tourists to the city and develop ideas so to do.

My suggestion is that we should write to the National Lottery fund and ask for help towards the costs of a second cannon.

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This would give us two guns and the second one should be placed at the bottom of the Walk in the heart of Leith. It could be timed to go off at 12.55.

Any visiting tourist who runs from there to be at Mons Meg before it goes off at 1pm would then get free entry to the Castle.

In all seriousness, that would work!

David Coutts, Cramond Road North, Edinburgh

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