Hard facts say North gets the cold shoulder

A REPORT in The Sunday Times early this year stated that 104 miles of motorway hard shoulder, throughout the whole of England, Scotland and Wales, will be used as a running lane by 2016.

The Highways Agency confirmed that at least 35 miles of motorway, within West Yorkshire and South Yorkshire, will have hard shoulder running by 2016.

The population of these regions is about six per cent of the UK. This indicates that these regions have five times more unsafe hard shoulder running than the national average.

These statistics prove a gross under-funding in major roadway infrastructure throughout these regions has occurred.

With this in mind, Transport Minister and Scarborough MP Robert Goodwill, could not be accused of nepotism were he to provide funding to address this issue. A new Yorkshire/Lancashire motorway, or similar major road, is desperately needed so as to relieve the M1 and M62.

The Government has so far been negligent in not providing for this serious need. It is incumbent on the region’s local authorities and the region’s MPs to pressurise the Government to provide the required money from central funding.

Put brakes on cycling yobs

From: Mr KS Chapman, Olive Grove, Harrogate.

THE other Friday, I was cycling down the Knaresborough Road towards Starbeck when I noticed a young female cyclist complete with child trailer, cycling down the opposite pavement at speed (breaking eight laws).

She then used the pedestrian crossing to cross over to my side. I was on the road.

She went again at speed, down the left hand side pavement. The traffic was stationary for the Starbeck crossing lights.

There was a police van in the line of traffic. He could not have failed to see this lawbreaker but as usual he just sat there and let it happen (negligent).

However, just as I was about to make my left hand turn into Kingsley, this female shot right in front of me. I had to brake 
hard.

Two seconds sooner and she would have ploughed into ~
me and I could have been seriously injured – but the police officer just sat there and let it happen!

This is not the first time that this type of incident has happened to me.

These idiots on bikes are a danger to themselves and other road users, especially law abiding cyclists such as myself.

But alas, the yob cyclists in Harrogate cannot do any wrong. As for pedestrians, they are third class citizens with no rights.

Time to create
Sir Dickie

From: Elisabeth Baker, Broomhill Crescent, Leeds.

AS a member of Yorkshire 
CCC I was delighted to read (Yorkshire Post, February 27) that Dickie Bird has been nominated to be the next President of the Club.

In the past, Dickie has 
been invested with an MBE and an OBE.

In this age when sportsmen are knighted for a one-off success, surely the time has come for him to be knighted as well.

He is a wonderful ambassador for sportsmanship and fair
play and this, with his devotion to and promotion of cricket 
as it should be played, along 
with his charitable activities, 
must outrank the achievements of some who are now called 
“Sir”.

Taken for ride by climate

From: Rev Neil McNicholas, Redcar, Cleveland.

I DO think as a nation we get taken for a ride so easily – or perhaps it is presumed that we are so passive we won’t care.

At PMQs, I noticed that the distinction between “global warming” and “climate change” has now disappeared and it is being referred to not only as “climate change” but “man-made climate change” because, politically, that phrase is more emotive.

Climate change is not the same as global warming. We MAY be contributing to global warming, but we certainly have nothing whatsoever to do with climate change which was going on long before human beings appeared on the face of the earth and will be going on long after we have exited stage-left.

No one seems to be arguing these points anymore.

As I write it is just gone 4pm and my post has just been delivered. How is it that we have been taken for such a monumental ride that we now accept post being delivered at this hour as the norm – and (excuse me while I fall about laughing) whatever happened to two deliveries in the day?

It’s bad enough that we have to wait this long for domestic mail to arrive, but how do companies manage to do their business when they have to wait all day for their mail?

And if they don’t, if business mail delivery is given priority, 
do they pay more for that 
service?

Why doesn’t Royal Mail employ enough posties in the first place so that mail can be delivered first thing like it used to be – or are shareholders more of a concern than customers?