Readers' letters: You’re going to need a bigger bridge!

Why is it that when you drive over the Queensferry Crossing bridge in even quite moderate traffic you are often reduced to second or even first gear, and this on a route which is designated as a motorway?

The answer can only be that the bridge was built with too few lanes. And that must be down to the Scottish government’s invitation to tender, which would have specified the desired capacity of the bridge.

The Queensferry Crossing is only five years old and has another 115 years of its designed life span to go and yet already it has insufficient capacity for efficient flow of even moderate levels of traffic. At a cost of about £1.35 billion pounds that is quite a mistake.

It was the SNP government in 2009 which invited tenders and they are still in office today. It is high-time they are held accountable for this egregious incompetence.

Otto Inglis. Crossgates.

Coalition of chaos on Edinburgh streets

The new Labour and Conservative council coalition in Edinburgh has got off to a great start.

I returned from a trip to London to find my city reduced to agiant landfill site.

Seagulls galore dined on the mountains of rubbish gathering not only on the bins, but right across the roads, pavements, shrubbery and wherever else the wind took it. The city, once called ‘auld reekie’ is reeking once more.

Allegedly, Labour council leader Cammy Day sat on a proposed offer from the SNP government for over a week, an offer that may have rendered the strike unnecessary and avoided the chaos.

We need grown up politics for our city, but seem to be lacking in talent at local authority level. Playing politics while a stench stirs across the city. Edinburgh deserves better.

Colin Storrier, Edinburgh.

Get X5 bus service back on right track

Craig Hoy, MSP with his 1000 strong petition did more than anyone else to get the X5 bus service from Edinburgh to North Berwick re-instated. Sadly, since its re-instatement users are facing an unreliable service which Mr Hoy rightly continues to highlight.

Jim McFarlane, the chair of Lothian Buses, has responded by criticising Mr Hoy, maintaining that he fails to appreciate driver retention and recruitment problems as well as the end of Scottish Government financial support.

Rather than criticising Mr Hoy, shouldn’t Mr McFarlane, therefore, be directing his criticism at the Scottish Goverment and, since the Lothian Buses managing director picks up an annual salary of nearly £160,000 with bonus and benefits of nearly £30,000, get his own house in order by paying decent wages to attract and retain drivers?

Tim Jackson, Gullane.

DVLA can handle bike registrations

Charity Cycling UK and transport groups say that government plans to have cyclists display number plates and have insurance are "impractical".

There are 39.2 million vehicles in the UK all handled efficiently by the DVLA. The 4 million cyclists would be registered with the DVLA.

Those buying a new bike would have their registration number supplied by the retailer as happens with cars. Insurance would have to be produced. Registration numbers need not be oncycle plates but could be on hi-viz jackets. As with motorists, those breaking the law could then be traced and punished.

Clark Cross, Linlithgow.

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