Letters: Upset traders can’t tell us where to do our shopping

I wonder how many traders will be involved and how many are truly independent.

Bruntsfield presently supports at least 15 restaurants/cafes/takeaway premises and no fewer than nine hairdressers, but no grocer of quality.

I have spoken to some traders myself; one said she did not care what happened to Peckham’s shop and another found the whole idea of petitions and boycotts very amusing.

On a personal level I shop for my groceries where I can purchase what I want and am not necessarily constrained by price. As far as a boycott is concerned, no-one can dictate where I shop.

B Crawford, Bruntsfield, Edinburgh

Low bus fare rise a minor miracle

PASSENGERS should consider a rise in the Lothian Buses adult single fare by 10p as something of a minor miracle. While Lothian Buses hasbeen investing in its fleet, by introducing fuel-efficient hybrid vehicles, the Scottish Government has made significant cuts to the Bus Service Operators’ Grant.

It is Government policy that passengers in the Capital should either pay more or accept a decaying service.

How all this tallies with encouraging public transport use is beyond me. However, we should know where to point the finger, instead of letting our local bus operator take the brunt of the blame.

Aleksandar Lukic, James Craig Walk, Edinburgh

Different law at work for cyclists?

AS a society, we have rightly adopted a harm-reduction culture in which we seek to persuade people by law and reason to safeguard their health. Changes in the law have brought about restrictions on smoking and the forthcoming crackdown on alcohol will similarly save many lives.

Healthy eating promotion is also playing its part (although the legal route may yet be needed in this respect).

And police will stop and prosecute any motorist not wearing a seatbelt or any motorcyclist without a helmet.

Yet, when it comes to pedal cyclists, little is done to enforce existing safety legislation. Whereas cycle helmets are not a legal requirement, adequate nocturnal front and rear lighting is – as well as obeying traffic signals whilst mounted. Yet, how often does one see cyclists sailing through red traffic lights – if one actually sees them at night without lights?

Is the only reason that police never seem to enforce cycling law a Clarksonesque view that cyclists form the natural prey of the four-wheeled avatar and are a species not worth saving? Or is there some other agenda?

John Eoin Douglas, Spey Terrace, Edinburgh

Confusion reigns over green lanes

I DON’T think David Blackburn (Letters, February 21) understands the difficulty which car drivers have when tackling a green lane, for the signs he refers to were erected when the lanes were so-called bus lanes.

Now when they introduced GREEN lanes, drivers were told emphatically to keep out of them and there is nothing to say that the blue signs are effective for green lanes.

I checked the position with my neighbour who is a policeman and he confirmed the blue signs also referred to the green lanes, but whoever is responsible for both should make it clear that the blue signs may be followed even for green lanes (not everyone lives next door to a policeman).

Kenneth Stewart, Edinburgh

Sensible to cater for views of all

I’VE been following the arguments for and against starting council meetings with prayers, and it seems to me the practice of doing so is ill-advised.

Making the prayers part of the process suggests that religion should be a factor in all agenda considerations.

It would be much more sensible for any prayers not to start, but to precede the meeting, so that those who wish to seek divine guidance may do so; that suggests doing so privately, and more importantly outside the chamber.

That would sensibly cater for all views.

Robert Dow, Ormiston Road, Tranent