YP Letters: Region's MPs allow the North to remain the poor relation

CAN anyone explain to me why the people of Yorkshire (Tom Richmond, The Yorkshire Post, December 1) continue to vote for the very poor apologies of MPs who allow the North-South transport funding divide to remain?

No one in the House of Commons, as far as I can ascertain, has raised the subject or protested at the obvious bias in favour of the southern counties. My own MP, when I lived in Yorkshire, actually wrote to me after my letter of protest and opined that the cost of living was cheaper for people in the North.

I’m not sure if he thought that our incomes were subsidised by the killing of the odd pig or cow for meat to add to our meagre income! Whatever the reason, he did not seem to think that a little more effort on his part and that of his fellow MPs may make a difference. The gesture at least would have shown their concern.

I am left with the feeling that elections are of little use and, whoever one votes for, the people of the North of England will continue to be the poor relations. We might as well give up sending people to the House of Commons.

From: Denis Angood, Leeds.

IF Leeds is to be a great city, it needs a great transport network to achieve that greatness, but both Leeds City Council and West Yorkshire Combined Authority have been found wanting in the past in their ability to provide such a system.

Their argument being that central government refused funding for the schemes put forward could be due to the fact that they were deemed too inadequate and unfit for purpose. Thoughts then return to how to bring about a reduction in car journeys using the stick rather than the carrot.

In my opinion cycling and cycle routes may evolve alongside other means of transport, but will only be successful if they are considered completely safe by their users. This can only be accomplished by segregating them from other forms of traffic.

From: Bob Watson, Baildon.

COUNCILLOR Kim Groves, who chairs the West Yorkshire Combined Authority transport committee, has urged the public to leave their cars at home and use public transport instead on Boxing Day (The Yorkshire Post, November 29).

Councillor Groves would serve us all better by persuading the local train operators to run services on Boxing Day. In this day and age, it is disgraceful that such services do not run on that day.