YP Letters: Guards have role to play for passengers

ONE of your correspondents last week stated that trains without guards had not been implicated in any deaths. Perhaps not, but in my experience the lack of a guard can cause serious inconvenience for the passengers.

I was travelling with my husband from Brighton to London to catch the train to Sheffield. As we drew up to St Pancras, the man in front of us had difficulty getting his case from the luggage rack and leapt off just in time before the doors started closing automatically and the train moved off to St Albans.

We then had to catch a train back to St Pancras in the hope that we would not miss the Sheffield train we had booked on, thus having to pay the full exorbitant fare. We just managed it by the skin of our teeth.

The driver only allowed a few minutes for passengers to alight – no doubt trying to make up time as he was running late. What about elderly passengers who might be slow or infirm or parents trying to get off with small children and luggage who could become separated?

In such situations, it is vital to have someone to turn to for help.

Give Corbyn a fair chance

From: Edward Grainger, Botany Way, Nunthorpe, Middlesbrough.

HERE we go again with yet more references to Labour under the leadership of Jeremy Corbyn.

Many say being Leader of the Opposition is the most difficult job of all. Both Tom Richmond and Andrew Vine (The Yorkshire Post, March 14) merely re-emphasise Corbyn’s weaknesses with phreases like “Labour’s disarray”, “no credible opposition”, “current feebleness”, “not even functioning as an effective opposition” and the belief in some Yorkshire constituencies that “Mr Corbyn is unelectable sunk in gloom”.

Surely if your columnists can adjust their all too familiar character assassination line for a little less critical one, we might well have the effective opposition we all want.

Another Blair in the making

From: Karl Sheridan, Selby Road, Holme on Splading Moor.

THE appointment of George Osborne to be editor of the London Evening Standard is one thing, but it appears he knows no bounds to greed – just like Tony Blair.

How, I ask, can this man devote his full attention to that of his constituency as well as edit a newspaper and the other jobs he has lined up?

To me it suggests that George Osborne is going to be a ‘Jack of all trades’ and master of none, and just like Mr Blair, immensely wealthy because of it!

From: John Appleyard, Firthclife Parade, Liversedge.

WHEN Ed Miliband was leader of the Labour Party, he frequently accused George Osborne of being a part-time Chancellor of the Exchequer.

News that Osborne is to become the editor of the London Evening Standard makes you wonder how he can find the time to serve his constituents.

Let’s see back of Scotland

From: Martin Redfern, Edinburgh.

AT the SNP conference, Nicola Sturgeon invites the English to move to Scotland.

Were Scotland, with its 10 per cent deficit – the highest in Europe – become independent and try to join the EU, English workers would be especially welcome.

Ms Sturgeon could then inflict upon them the massive tax rises and swingeing cuts to public services that Scots would already be enduring. This will be necessary to reduce Scotland’s deficit to three per cent, as mandated by EU entry rules.

Excellent wheeze, Nicola.

From: Terry Palmer, South Lea Avenue, Hoyland, Barnsley.

LET Brussels ‘take care’ of the Scots – we could then pump the millions we now send them into our NHS and OAP care.

Wasting time and energy

From: Eric Daines, Burtree Avenue, Skelton, York.

WELL said Kev Davison (The Yorkshire Post, March 16), we are urged to save energy by not leaving TVs on standby, amongst other things, yet traffic lights are left on all night.

When leaving York taking the A19 to the north of York, you pass the ‘park and ride’ site.

The entrance and exit onto the road is controlled by traffic lights, even when the site is closed after 8pm with a large metal gate locked across the entrance.

To be stopped at a red light after 8pm with no possibility of a vehicle coming across your path is a regular occurrence.

Reverse gear

From: RG Wood, Farnley Tyas, Huddersfield.

DRIVERLESS or rudderless? Interesting to note the Government plan to spend £200m on driverless cars in the interest of progress and the belligerent striking train drivers don’t want driverless trains in the interest of err – themselves. Makes you proud to be British!