Letters: Hogmanay celebrations can't rest on their laurels

As another festive season fades into history, Edinburgh should be commended for once again putting on a spectacular and colourful display of pageantry, fireworks and music.

It seems to be the case that Edinburgh is becoming just as famous for its winter celebrations as those traditionally held in summer.

However, in the harsh economic climate that we now live, along with the possibility of increasingly severe winters in terms of weather, can the city really afford to spend the same amounts on future extravaganzas?

Secondly, is the current format now somewhat jaded?

Perhaps, a bit like Princes Street, fresh ideas and input are required, which would not only maintain the city's reputation as the place to be at New Year time, but would also be in keeping with the times in which we live.

Angus McGregor, Albion Road, Edinburgh

Provide platform for city train line

GORDON Walker (Interactive, January 3) rightly notes that "Edinburgh relies heavily on its buses" and concludes that "buses will be a common sight in the city centre for many years to come".

But why is Edinburgh so dependent on buses for public transport?

Part of the reason is that those in central government have consistently blocked opportunities - sometimes backed by private money - to develop local rail services within the city.

Indeed, the Scottish Government has made it quite clear that rail is for those commuting in and out of the city and not for those seeking to travel around within it.

The fact that this means that it is often quicker to travel into the city centre from the likes of Inverkeithing, Linlithgow and Prestonpans than it is from the Inch, Liberton and Portobello seems not to interest them at all.

If Edinburgh is to become a city where journey times by public transport are attractive and the city centre one where strolling around is a pleasure, its citizens need to demand of its elected representatives that they argue the case for the city.

Buses will rightly have a large role still to play - but so should trains and a good tram system.

Lawrence Marshall, chair, Capital Rail Action Group

Monday meanness was parking mad

It appears that the season of goodwill has not reached the chilled confines of City of Edinburgh Council.

Despite the fact that Monday, January 3 was a public holiday, it was deemed a worthwhile exercise to send parking attendants out prowling the streets.As a local resident who already contributes a lot of time and money into making this a great city, I feel rather disappointed that so much goodwill and trust can be taken away in a flash of mean-spirited penny-pinching.

Brian Ruxton, North Bughtlinside, Edinburgh

Rises will fuel pain for drivers

The New Year sees more pain at the pumps for drivers, with rises in fuel duty and VAT adding around 4p to the cost of a litre of petrol or diesel.

But these increases don't just hurt the driver and our hard-pressed haulage industry, they also produce price rises at the shops for everyone.

Before the general election, David Cameron complained about how the previous government had hammered drivers with various taxes.

He added that he had to do things very differently and make life easier for families facing sky-high motoring bills.

He even indicated that he could help families by cutting fuel taxes when global fuel prices rise.

It is time to take Mr Cameron at his word. The Association of British Drivers calls on the government to scrap above-inflation fuel duty rises set for the next three years, and also plans for road-pricing for lorries.

I urge readers to contact their MP.

Brian Macdowall, campaign director, Association of British Drivers?