Letters: Switch the engine off if you want to save on fuel

THE story about rising fuel prices (News, April 7) and the effect that it has on drivers underlines the fact there is a real crisis we are having to cope with now.

Those of us who rely on our vehicles, whether it's for making a living or getting to work, are having to cut corners financially to make ends meet. Most of us are cutting our cloth accordingly.

That's why I am irritated when I read about taxi drivers bemoaning the situation, girning about how hard life is.

If things are so tough, why do so many of them sit in their ranks with the engine idling, burning the fuel they say is so costly while waiting for the fares they claim are so sparse?

The weather has been kinder now that spring has started, so it's not as if the cabbies have to keep the engine going to keep the heater on.

Everyone else is having to tighten their belts, I'm sure taxi drivers would welcome the savings too.

Tony Palmer, Willowbrae Road, Edinburgh

Gray suffers from loss of memory

IAIN Gray accuses the SNP on Edinburgh City Council of mismanaging the Edinburgh trams project (News, April 6).

This is the same Iain Gray who as Transport Minister produced the disastrous project.

Labour along with their Liberal Democrat and Tory acolytes voted it through at both the Scottish Parliament and the Edinburgh City Council Chambers against the wishes of the SNP councillors and Nationalist MSPs at Holyrood.

For Mr Gray's benefit and for general public information, no Edinburgh SNP councillors have participated on the management board of TIE, which manages the tram project.

Who inherits this ill-conceived adventure in the context of cost? The struggling Edinburgh and Scottish taxpayer.

It is high time that the good people of Edinburgh realised that this manifestation of maladministration is the responsibility of the Labour, Liberal Democrat, Tory and Green parties as all are culpable.

I also hope this will draw a closure to the continual amnesia problem that Mr Gray appears to suffer from and I hope in time that he will find a cure.

John Miller, Blackford Bank, Edinburgh

Boards a hazard on the pavements

AS a visually impaired white cane user I wish a ban would be imposed on the menace of 'A' boards as yet another hazard on our already dodgy pavements (News, April 5).

Buggy users can see the boards and work round them, but as a VIP (visually impaired person) I cannot.

Let's get rid of the boards.

Anne Dignan, Westbank Street, Edinburgh

West not best for rail link proposal

LABOUR if elected to the Scottish Parliament are going to build the Glasgow Airport Rail Link (GARL). Their thinking is correct but they have chosen the wrong airport.

Glasgow airport is on the wrong side of that city for most of Scotland and as GARL would terminate at Central station, that would necessitate a change for travellers from the east, centre and north of the country.

Edinburgh Airport Rail Link (EARL) is a much better project. It is more expensive and ambitious, but would connect the whole of Scotland directly to the terminal and would save thousands of car journeys a year.

George Ritchie, North Gyle Terrace, Edinburgh

A major blow for wind farm fans

A REPORT from the John Muir Trust showed the UK's subsidised wind farms were working at just 21 per cent of maximum capacity in 2010 and 24 per cent between November 2008 and December 2010.

The wind industry and their mouthpieces chant the mantra that "Wind turbines will generate on average 30 per cent of their rated capacity over a year".

What is even worse is that the developers quote 30 per cent when applying for planning permission.

Clark Cross, Springfield Road, Linlithgow