Letters: Common sense far cheaper than wasteful 'champions'

Will the council never learn? Don't they realise it is the state of the roads since the trams started that has put people off coming into the city. A matter made worse by the price of parking.

You mentioned in your article the "villages", what about the West End? Shandwick Place, Stafford Street, William Street -the West End is a forgotten part of the city.

It is ridiculous that the council is going to pay so much more when common sense should prevail.

J Clark, Manse Street, Edinburgh

Elderly need cash not patronising

I AM a pensioner like Margo MacDonald (who was born in 1943 as I understand it) although I am not sure I could keep up with her. So I was disappointed in her comments last Wednesday in referring to some OAPs as "wise old birds", "old dears in denial", and "golden oldies".

She also suggested a Pensioners Parliament day at the Holyrood Parliament - or a cup of tea, I suppose, and bring along your knitting day - while giving very little consideration to these "old dears'" wishes for a better state pension above the "poverty level". No doubt she has good parliamentary pensions waiting, so why care?

We can do without this condescending nonsense from a fellow "auld yin". And for sure we don't need a jolly pensioners day, wasting public money, when we can go there ourselves, assisted or otherwise. What we do need is more serious, respectful and sympathetic MSPs in parliament with ears for the afflictions affecting all too many elderly people at this time.

Alexander Lawson, Greenwell Park, Glenrothes

Mixed messages help nobody

The letter from Martin Gray explained that taxis, even carrying passengers, can use Holyrood park except for plying for hire (Interactive, March 8).

This would seem to be at odds with communications received by the taxi companies from Edinburgh City Council licensing and the cab office.

The latest message states that under no circumstances can a taxi with advertising livery use the park, yet I recall that several years ago when taxi advertising was first given the go-ahead in the city, dispensation was provided for liveried taxis to use the park.

I personally must have driven a taxi through the park and in front of the police many times.

Perhaps the council could properly clarify this once and for all for taxi owners and the public.

An Edinburgh cabbie

Lack of provision does not compute

Edinburgh council was asked back in November to give homeless people it is housing in its 16 homeless units access to vital services of medical, legal, home searches, job searches and importantly communication with their families through the internet.

These 16 units already have internet access currently only used by staff. To create a channel and wifi connection on that line is all that it takes to give residents access.

A group within our city that is clearly in most need of internet access is being denied access to these facilities and as more and more services go online the people who most need to access them are being denied by the very people going online.

Libraries do not allow homeless people to use Skype to talk with families, when isolation is continually highlighted as a major problem with being homeless. They also only allow one hours' access per day, if indeed homeless people can actually get to them.

I would like to use your newspaper to highlight this hypocrisy and make your readers aware of disparity that has arisen from this situation.

Lawrence Target, Moredun Vale Park, Edinburgh