PLEASE can someone tell me which mathematician worked out that First’s bus fares were to rise “on average 8%”, and can I have their job? (Examiner July 24).
Since the increase in fares I have travelled on various routes and so far I have had an increase of 20% and 13%, while the day ticket has also increased from £3.20 to £3.50 – an increase of over 20%. Now when I was at school (which was not that long ago) to get an average of 8% that means some lucky people must have had hardly any increases in their bus fares!
Surely I am not getting cynical at the ripe old age of 21, so please let me know if you have not suffered the mass increase!
Helen Dandridge
Cowlersley
It’s time to think again
WITH regard to the “8%” rise in bus fares I would be very interested to know how these figures are worked out.
From Moldgreen to town the fare has risen from £1.00 to £1.20, a 20% rise. Dalton to town has gone from £1.50 to £1.70, over 13%. In fact with an across-the-board increase of 20p it doesn’t become 8% until added to £2.50.
Does First assume we are all unable to do basic maths and will accept this? Maybe if no one except those with free bus passes used the buses for a week they would have to think again!
Jackie Mann
Dalton
Not slaves .just yet!
“WORK boys, work and be contented
So long as you’ve enough to buy a meal
The man, you may reply, will be wealthy by and by
If he’ll only put his shoulder to the wheel.”
This was one of Songs of British Workmen to Sing, published in the mid-nineteenth century. Then, the workers were indeed wage slaves in the Marxist sense. Thank goodness and the trades unions they are not now - to the chagrin of unenlightened employers.
It’s the wrong time to strike, says one of your nameless correspondents. Of course it is. For the Conservative Party and the readers of most of the newspapers there never was a right time to strike.
Strikes are inconvenient and expensive - especially for the strikers, whose last resort a strike has to be - but without the unions, their early Liberal MP sympathisers and later the Labour Party we should still be wage slaves.
If we reduce council workers’ wages then David Meredith may be relieved of his “already overlarge council tax bill.” (Mailbag July 18). So put all jobs out to tender and there will certainly be firms offering to do the work by paying the legal minimum wage, whatever the quality of the service given.
There will then be a lot more disgruntled citizens writing to the Examiner to complain about that favourite “Aunt Sally” – Kirklees.
Philip Charlesworth
Huddersfield
The minimum wage...or else!
IF the unemployed are to work full time to get their Job Seekers’ Allowance, the Government would be in breach of its own employment laws.
Job Seekers’ Allowance is far less than the minimum wage. They must pay the minimum wage or they will be prosecuted like they do to employers who do not pay minimum rates.
W Firth
Thornhill
Wind farm talk is ‘hot air’
I WAS interested to read the report about job creation from wind farms. Energy Minister Malcolm Wicks reiterates all the junk science and misinformation concerning this subject.
Let us stick to facts. Over 5,000 2 megawatt wind turbines would be needed to match the output of Drax alone. Over 30,000 of the monstrous 3 megawatt turbines would be needed to meet our ill-advised EU “renewable” targets. No conventional power plants could be decommissioned because they are needed as back up. Take note of the failed German and Danish experiments.
What we are facing is the biggest desecration of the landscape since the industrial revolution, the biggest ever potential taxpayer subsidies for foreign-owned and manufactured machines and an unprecedented increase in energy costs based on bogus, EU sponsored, Green box-ticking nonsense.
Godfrey Bloom
UKIP MEP for Yorkshire and North Lincolnshire
Common sense in roundabaout way
OVER many months now a group of ‘concerned individuals’ has been lobbying Kirklees Council (unsuccessfully) to improve the hazardous roundabout in the centre of Slaithwaite where many minor accidents and near misses have already occurred.
Indeed, meetings have been held which senior Kirklees Highways officials have attended, taken on-board the problems highlighted and after six months of deliberations have done absolutely nothing to alleviate our safety concerns.
It appears by KMC’s intimation that it is the motorists who are at fault by not taking enough care and attention when approaching this major traffic hazard. Yet the innocent motorist has to contend with two pedestrian crossings and one badly designed (hardly distinguishable) roundabout within the space of 10 metres that cannot be seen at night and signage that can only be described as woefully inadequate.
Enter our ‘White Knight’ Kali Mountford MP who has now involved professionals to advise us in the matter, and, like many others disagrees with the appointed KMC Highways senior officers’ conclusions!
If anyone, anywhere, has any further comments on our Colne Valley roads or the infamous Slaithwaite junction now is the time to act and let your opinions be known by contacting mountfordk@parliament.uk or write to her at 23 Carr Lane, Slaithwaite HD7 5AG in order to restore common sense and bring about change to avoid a serious accident!
AJK
Slawit
Restrict lanes for HGVs
AS as an ex-HGV driver I have the answer to ease traffic congestion on the motorways. On two-lane motorways, the M11 for instance, HGVs should be restricted to one lane as in parts of Europe.
They are, or should be, restricted to 56 mph give or take 1 mph and this is the major problem. It can take up to a mile or above for one HGV to overtake another, causing huge backlogs of traffic.
On three-lane motorways at peak periods the same should apply – one lane for HGVs; on four-lane motorways (M62 at Windy Hill etc), HGVs should be restricted to the two inside lanes only.
This would then allow faster traffic to keep moving – FACT.
Peter Scaife
Dalton
MEPs should be fully involved
I WELCOME the fact that the government appears to be delivering on its promise of giving Yorkshire and The Humber a greater voice in its dealings with Westminster by establishing a Regional Select Committee.
It is just a shame it has taken so long. It is also something that I have been demanding for some considerable time now.
As usual though, we will have to wait to see the detail of the proposals to make sure that what is set-out really will allow representatives from our region to hold Ministers fully to account.
To make sure such a new Committee is as representative as possible, I believe very strongly that our MEPs should be full members of these Committees being the only truly regionally elected representatives. I, for instance, as one of our MEPs, travel extensively, meeting with people and hearing the concerns which they have from a diverse set of backgrounds - both urban and rural. Those concerns must be fully aired and a Select Committee would be well placed to consider them.
Many of the problems which we face also have some European connections, whether it be through the funding which comes from European institutions or as a result of the legislation for which Brussels is responsible. MEPs should be fully part of this process.
Timothy Kirkhope, MEP for Yorkshire and the Humber
Old jewellery for good cause
I AM calling on your readers to help a worthy cause and donate their unwanted or broken jewellery to leading health charity Diabetes UK.
If anyone has an odd cufflink or a watch that doesn’t tick, I urge them to send it to Diabetes UK who will then convert the old jewellery into crucial funds to support diabetes research projects.
As someone who has Type 1 diabetes, I know firsthand just how serious it is and the devastating complications it can cause - like stroke and heart disease. There are 2.3 million people in the UK with diabetes and more than half a million who have the condition but do not know it.
These numbers are rising at an alarming rate so it is important we do all we can to raise awareness of diabetes and help find a cure. You can send any unwanted jewellery to: Old Jewellery Appeal, Diabetes UK, FREEPOST LON12854, London, NW1 2YF.
Dominic Littlewood
The One Show Presenter
