Ministers should travel second class

WHEN one is a Government Minister and travelling by chauffeur driven limousines or luxuriating in first class rail travel covered by one’s expenses, it is quite a different experience from the average commuter who struggles to pay for a second class annual season ticket and has to suffer price rises far in excess of any annual salary/wage increase.

Then there are the often cramped seating arrangements in second class carriages and the occasions when one is forced to stand rather than sit down.

Has any privileged first class Government Ministerial passenger ever bothered to walk along the train and discover the plight of one’s fellow proletarian passengers?

I doubt it but they might get quite a rude shock if they did.

From: N Bywater, Airedale Terrace, Morley.

ALTHOUGH times are difficult, with almost zero wage increases, I can understand why people complain about rising prices.

And the 6.2 per cent price rise on the railways is more than inflation. But the trains are still good value, as can be seen by how popular they are.

I don’t travel by trains that much, but when I have, the fare has been cheaper than travelling by bus or car. Many households have more than one car, ditch the car for an healthier lifestyle.

From: Terry Duncan, Greame Road, Bridlington.

WHO does decide on the allocation of track to railway companies?

I believe the day is not far away that the Government will rue the loss of Virgin Trains on the West Coast route.

It appears to me, listening to the radio and watching the telly, that there is an American influence in the new company taking over – because of the accent of the senior executive.

Virgin is British and let’s not forget it before we sell off more of our heritage! The decision can still be overturned as the change-over date is a some weeks away.

From: Tim Mickleburgh, Boulevard Avenue, Grimsby.

I ALWAYS thought that if you travelled on Saturdays, rail fares would be less complicated. Sadly, that no longer seems to be true.

For I’m going to a meeting in Birmingham soon that finishes at 4pm. If I come home on the 4.30pm it’d cost me £84, but only £41 if I hang around until the 5.30pm. What logic is this, and what about those who haven’t got a friend who can buy an advance ticket using the internet and a credit card?

Positive action from police

From: Dr Elizabeth M Binns, Cleckheaton.

I NOTE your paper’s criticisms of West Yorkshire Police under the headline “Police under attack over flawed campaign to curb hate crimes” (Yorkshire Post, August 17).

This was in relation to claims by a group called “Just West Yorkshire” that many of the police’s 200 reporting centres for hate crimes are not fit for purpose.

The whole substance of the complaint is that “several of the reporting centres have out of date contact details”, but only two instances of out of date leaflets are given.

Does this group go round our police stations trying to find fault, or do they actually do something useful themselves?

It appears to me that the only people taking any positive action here are the West Yorkshire Police.

Deaf ears to council’s plan

From: Peter and Margaret Whittaker, Long Lane, Dalton, Huddersfield.

AS founder members of the Huddersfield and West Yorkshire branches of the National Deaf Children’s Society in 1969, 
we are very upset by what we have read in the newspapers about the treatment that deaf children, and their parents, are to receive in Kirklees. Deafness is a severe, lonely and unseen disability, the children need 
all the help and understanding they can get; both parents and child fear for their future.

Deaf people are as capable of educational achievement as anyone else – they are normal intelligent people whose problem is that their ears do not work as they should and need a lot of understanding, patience and love.

The support and help they need is vital, and this is why the council’s plan must be opposed and defeated.

As parents of two successful profoundly deaf people, 
we are only too aware of the 
value of high quality deaf education and communication support.

A child’s future should not be threatened by these proposed cuts and we urge the council to review its decision.

Pakistan’s local priorities

From: David W Wright, Easingwold, North Yorkshire.

ANWAR Akhtar (Yorkshire Post, August 8) has raised some debatable and contentious 
points in his comment column stating that Pakistan has a key role to play in Britain’s future.

Pakistan’s future is surely centred within the Asian region and that of her neighbours who share the same cultural and religious interests.

While there is a clear commitment for co-operation with the UK through membership of the Commonwealth, Pakistan should surely develop its ties and future progress firstly in the Indian sub-continent.

The question of engagement 
of the British Pakistani community is a separate issue which must be resolved by the community itself by fully integrating into the British culture firstly by speaking English as their first language.