RICHARD Connell-Smith's excellent defence of the bus information service (Letters, March 17) illustrates both the short-sighted nature of cuts made by the Liberal Democrat-run City of York Council and the folly of the Labour Government's push for "efficiencies" that replace local services with regional or national call centres.

It's not only the bus information service that is going (in spite of the Green budget amendment that tried to save it).

The Government intends to direct all calls to the Fire & Rescue Service to a centre in Wakefield and, no doubt, a similar arrangement would apply for a single Yorkshire Police Force.

Recent coverage highlighted the precarious state of the out-of-hours doctor service, where a single doctor has to cover a wide area.

If you agree with this concern about the loss of local services, write to your Member of Parliament and councillor, or tell me what you think on my weblog www.andydagorne.me.uk

Green Party policy is to promote democratically-accountable local services, and make it as easy as possible for people to find out about alternatives to the car, including local bus services, not direct them to remote call centre staff who are unfamiliar with the local landmarks and destinations in York.

Coun Andy D'Agorne,

Green Party,

City of York Council,

Broadway West,

York.

Updated: 10:49 Thursday, March 23, 2006