IF PETER EDWARDS is really keen to hear of any measures which would help the ftr mobile obstruction bus run, may I suggest he take it to a full-size modern city with a decent road system, and council members who still believe in public service over commercial greed and self-glorification.

If, instead of placing silly lamppost banners all around the town, the council had actually consulted and listened to the residents they purport to serve, they would have realised that the ftr is totally unsuitable for York's decrepit and badly-planned road system.

To further suggest and indeed force through the imposition of "red routes" upon the hard-pressed York motoring community - in a town where traffic lights are so badly timed they stop a solitary vehicle dead in its tracks at 3am in the morning - is adding insult to injury!

The only good point I can think of with the ftr is that its extra wheels may roll over and kill part of the inevitable rat infestation due in the summer. And that's thanks to the council's other dictatorial decision - to impose fortnightly refuse collections, causing a mountain of black bags to be created in gardens and back yards all over the city, not to mention the wonderful sight of fly tips scattered around the ring road.

I wonder who benefits from the free compost collected during the fortnightly grass collections?

It is time City of York Council stood up for the rights and needs of the residents, which members were elected to serve instead of bending over backwards to please the self-serving ventures of large companies.

John C Andrews,

Chantry Close,

Woodthorpe,

York.

We were told many months ago when the question of the size of the bus was raised: "No, this bus can operate perfectly well on York's roads."

If this was true, why were hundreds of thousands of pounds spent on altering the roads and bus stops to accommodate the ftr then?

We knew from the start the ftr was too big for the streets of York, but heaven forbid that members of the public and bus users should presume to tell the bus company what they want.

Please, Mr Edwards, admit it was a mistake introducing ftr in York, and that you will be transferring these buses to your operations in another city. Lastly, wasn't it interesting to hear the Transport Secretary mention congestion charges while travelling on the ftr?

I am sure time will prove me correct that it is just a matter of time before such charges are introduced, helped no doubt by the ftr.

An afterthought: We'd still like to know why, from a health and safety standpoint, it seems to be acceptable to make people stand on a moving bus without providing helmets and safety harnesses and still have to pay the same as a sitting customer?

Steve Smith,

Dijon Ave,

Acomb,

York.

THE designers of the new ftr bus are to be congratulated.

It is a tremendous achievement to cram so few seats into such a huge space.

Do you think they might be persuaded to apply the same principle to our city council chamber?

Jim Kerslake,

Railway Terrace,

Holgate,

York.

Updated: 09:53 Saturday, May 13, 2006