SIR - Ray Wilkes' (T&A, April 3) is another who seems envious of those who have cars.

He writes: "car owners have a responsibility to pay the full costs of parking and road space".

If he does a little research he will be surprised just how much motorists pay in VAT and other taxes.

There is VAT on the initial purchase plus road fund tax, and then each time petrol is purchased a very large percentage of the price is tax. Little of these billions are spent on improving our roads.

To many, the car is an essential tool. Sales representatives, surveyors, solicitors, lawyers, reporters and photographers are amongst those who need a car to do their work, work which is necessary for the economy.

Better road planning in previous years should have anticipated the growth in road transport.

When we look at photographs of traffic in the early 1900s what do we see? A mass of horse-drawn trams and carriages which seem to be travelling in every direction.

Then there was the pollution - bucket loads of horse droppings which people crossing the roads would have been unable to avoid walking in. And I doubt there would be sufficient rhubarb in people's gardens to absorb it all!

Peter A Rushforth, Sutton Drive, Cullingworth