Letters to the Editor

SIR - Surely it cannot be a surprise to anyone that the traffic is now stationary on the new Bingley relief road rather than in Bingley town centre.

Where did the optimists think the traffic would go? It must have been well known that the jams would simply move along the road and clog up Cottingley and Saltaire.

However, as people sit fuming in their cars, they can feel a warm glow from knowing that Bingley is now clear and its residents can now breathe and move about freely without being under siege. They can also consider the fact that "there is no such thing as a free lunch" and "what goes in must come out".

While they are in reflective mood and thinking up even better clichs, they might also wonder how it is that those whose job it is to deal with our roads had not foreseen this mess.

In parallel with the building of the new road, should not the Council have made provisions to accommodate the traffic on their patch? Of course not! It is far better to feign surprise and promise improvements sometime.

K J Trocki, Birchdale, Bingley.

On your bikes...

SIR - My advice regarding the chaos reported on the Shipley end of the new Bingley relief road is to cycle it using the original road. The total distance to Skipton is only 12 miles on one of the easiest routes, along the Aire Valley.

Skipton has for years been en route for all cyclists to the Dales and, believe me, cycling these days is a fantastic pleasure with modern, lightweight frames and suspensions. I gave up on my car years ago, sold it and never regretted it.

Michael Bryan, Bramlet Lane, Hipperholme.

Scrap bus lane

SIR - Some of the hold-ups being experienced at the Cottingley end of the new Bingley relief road would be eased if the bus lane from Cottingley to Saltaire was scrapped.

Those intending to turn left at the Saltaire roundabout would be able to use this lane, doubling the number of vehicles along the road without necessarily increasing the problems at the roundabout.

I was surprised that even at 9.10am on Tuesday morning there was a substantial volume of traffic at the new roundabout.

Peter A Rushforth, Sutton Drive, Cullingworth.

Great website

SIR - I derive great pleasure in keeping up with the news from Bradford and surrounding districts. I left the city in 1955 but still have a great affection for my old home town.

Your addition to www.thisisbradford.co.uk of the "Birds Eye Bradford" feature is extremely well presented. I have spent many hours examining the excellent pictures of the area taken from the air.

Thank you once again for your great website.

Gerard Monaghan, Ramarama Road, RD3, Drury, Auckland, New Zealand.

Prosperity ahead

SIR - It is a pleasure to see India and Pakistan starting to work together to promote the educational, cultural, social and economic advancement of their populations.

This should be welcomed by all and, no doubt, will lead to even better relations between people from these countries of origin in the UK.

For over half a century, India and Pakistan have spent a large proportion of their limited resources on their armed forces, while neglecting the abject poverty of many of their citizens. Now new developments in technology, including satellite television and the internet, have made their people aware of the standard of living elsewhere, particularly in the developed world.

Let us hope that the recent development is the start of a long-lasting relationship between these two countries. I am convinced that if India and Pakistan concentrate on alleviating poverty and disadvantage, the South Asian region could become one of the most prosperous parts of the world.

Mohammed Ali (Chief Executive, QED-UK), West Bowling Centre, Clipstone Street, Bradford.

Not enough trains

SIR - It remains unacceptable that the earliest train which arrives in Huddersfield from the direct Bradford Interchange service is 9.02. It is important that earlier trains are made available so that commuters may choose this service when travelling to work.

It is also important that frequencies are increased from hourly to half-hourly and that journey times are reduced from the current 45 minutes by avoiding unnecessary delays at Bradley Wood and Bradley junctions.

This service remains underused because it has not been adequately promoted and attempts to seek the above enhancements have been ignored by Metro.

Should this service be enhanced, there would be more passengers and more revenue, which in turn would reduce subsidies. It would mean fewer private car journeys, less congestion and pollution.

It is time we pressured our elected representatives to show a greater commitment to railway investment in this city.

Alec Suchi (Secretary, Bradford Rail User Group), Allerton Road, Allerton