SIR - Mr Walker says bus lanes are useless (T&A, December 11). On the contrary, they are safer for cyclists and speed up the buses, making them more reliable. Clearly they are more effective if not blocked by parked cars.

Cyclists and buses have to pull out of blocked bus lanes, increasing the risk of delay and accidents. Inconsiderate parking can deny wheelchair users access to buses. Fortunately, the buses being introduced over the next few weeks are fitted with CCTV which will monitor traffic including bus priority lane infringements.

Hopefully, the high risk of prosecution for illegal parking will lead to clearer bus lanes. Similarly fitted buses in Harrogate are already helping North Yorkshire police to crack roadside crime.

Bus lanes encourage people to switch from cars to buses, releasing more road space for the people whose car is absolutely essential.

Throughout Europe reliable, efficient buses encourage a switch from cars. Too often in Britain the bus is left struggling to compete on an uneven playing field, without any bus priority. Yet even in the UK, bus transport is good and well able to respond to passenger demand throughout Bradford and West Yorkshire.

Ray Wilkes, Tower Road, Shipley.

SIR - Liz Devlin states that only Unison is opposed to private companies taking over housing and making profits for shareholders (December 11). So are the members of CARE.

Yet we realise that there is a need for beneficial change which is why we embrace the proposals by Royds, a non-profit, charitable organisation which is accountable to its tenants and which proposes a management team of which the majority would be ordinary tenants who would make all decisions, including rent levels and repairs.

We believe that, because tenants will control the management of their estates (which is what the Government wants), this system will succeed. Regrettably, despite the hard work by the local housing management teams (who we have an enormous amount of respect for), this success cannot be guaranteed by the Council because of external restraints that would not exist under Stock Transfer.

Unison is rightly concerned about members' jobs, yet jobs will become available to people with housing management experience.

Change is inevitable. Surely we can all work together to ensure this is to the benefit of everyone - particularly the tenants.

Mike Stocks, chairman, Community Association for Regeneration of Estates (CARE), The Coppies, Delph Hill, Wyke.

SIR - I was appalled at an item of news on a television lunchtime bulletin. A dog had been thrown into a river with its paws tied. A rescue bid was mounted but the dog drowned.

There is no need for animals to be treated in this way.

Animal rescue centres and the RSPCA are the people to contact with regard to unwanted animals. If they are to be put to sleep then it would be done in a humane manner.

Nora Pemberton, Albert Avenue, Shipley.

SIR - Re your Comment of December 12 about the cleaning of streets in Bradford.

Here in Denholme (and I wish I lived somewhere else) the streets used to be maintained. That is, a man could be seen cleaning them.

Then, many months ago, he was seen no more. Eventually as debris increased I wrote complaining to a council office. A week or so later a street-cleaning vehicle performed the required work. In the street where I live only, so it seemed.

I believe that within the last fortnight it has been quoted that the Council Tax will rise again by something more than inflation. Am I mistaken in believing that part of that tax is for street cleaning? Just what do we get for the hard cash that we have to pay?

I can hardly think of anything with the exception of the new illuminated path for pedestrians between Cullingworth and Manywells Brow.

It appears that Bradford Council finds the work of organising the city totally beyond them.

R A Burge, Longhouse Drive, Denholme.