Letters: Permit me to be sceptical over parking arrangements

I received the council's "Park Green" leaflet for permit holders last week. According to the leaflet my car, which is one year old and has all the bells and whistles to make it run efficiently, is deemed less efficient than a car with the same spec which is nine-plus years older.

The older car will now pay 70 for a year's permit and my fee of 80 will stay the same. I can't quite get my head round this!

Has anyone at the council actually read this leaflet? I don't think so! Presumably because the word "green" is used they think people will accept it without question. I have downsized my car but my new car is assessed on CO2 emissions while a car bought before March 2001 is assessed on engine size.

Why didn't they just make the assessment on CO2 emissions for every car? I hope residents who have to pay for permits have a good look at this leaflet.

I live in Zone 6 and recently it has been getting harder to find spaces. I can sit in my car waiting for a space during the day and in a permit holder's space is someone with a retailer's or some other permit the council has managed to think up. These have a pink "6" instead of blue.

Everyone knows the council has sold more permits than there are spaces but now they are giving out permits to retailers, tradesmen and others.

They are selling something which is not there and it is time the residents said "we won't accept this any more". There are people who have flats here but don't live here permanently and I suspect some keep a car here too as there are cars which lie for months on end without moving and therefore there are even fewer spaces available.

Rhona Cameron, Edinburgh

CCTV's not answer to society's ills

IN these straitened financial times, when people are losing their jobs, it is sad to see yet more taxpayers' money being squandered on costly CCTV systems in Edinburgh (News, November 5). This country is unique in its bizarre obsession with CCTV technology, seeing it as a key solution to society's ills.

But the harsh truth is that while we are the surveillance capital of Europe, we are also the antisocial behaviour capital of Europe.

So in truth our supposed 'solutions' are not really getting to the heart of our problems.

The presence of CCTV cameras in an area certainly seem to make people feel safer. Sadly this is a gross deception, and people are in reality no safer.

Not only because many cameras are either substandard, broken, switched off or not being actively monitored at the time. But more importantly, because all reputable research indicates that most CCTV in urban areas does little to deter crime or catch criminals.

Perhaps if the money which is currently being channelled into expensive camera surveillance were to be re-invested in improved facilities for our young people then we might begin to see some progress at last in defeating antisocial behaviour.

Dr John Welford, Boat Green, Edinburgh

Don't forget about memorial

ONCE again another year without our memorial at Haymarket. It is about time the council did something about it.

It was supposed to be reinstated for this year and now it is supposed to be reinstated for 2011! Will it be like the trams, a promise year after year?

JL Clark, Manse Street, Edinburgh

Monkeys better off out of the zoo

LIKE Hazel Fraser (Interactive, November 5) I question why, after the sadistic piglets cull, Edinburgh Zoo should be allowed to carry out its proposed monkey conservation programme.

Is there any safeguard that these monkeys will not receive the same fate as the piglets? Surely the monkeys would be better off if their habitation was given greater protection by law and they were free to enjoy their natural and familiar surroundings, rather than face an uncertain future in an unfamiliar zoo. In any case, Edinburgh Zoo has a poor record in keeping monkeys secure.

John Cowen, Stewart Terrace, Edinburgh