YP Letters: HS2 will not make it past Birmingham

HS2 is a discussion about nothing. It will reach Birmingham and then stop due to escalating costs. Leeds and many other Northern cities will be fobbed off with an upgraded, existing infrastructure.

As for the rebuilt Leeds Station, have they thought about access for people who cannot climb the “stairway to heaven” as projected in the artist’s impression? It looks as though the architect has copied the Leeds Town Hall steps built in the 19th century.

How about a state of the art moving walkway or does the budget not run to that? Incidentally, that guru of transport strategy, Chris Grayling, has now come up with a new masterplan – let’s reopen railway lines closed by Dr Beeching. No prizes for guessing the location of those lines – London and the Home Counties.

Supertram, trolley bus, underground system, Northern Powerhouse – just talk to keep the natives happy while London forges ahead with its plan to become the first city state since ancient Rome.

Eventually we Northerners will need a visa to visit Londinium.

From: ME Wright, Harrogate.

DAVID Behrens highlights yet another mindless PR blunder by Northern Rail (The Yorkshire Post, December 2).

This involves station signs reading “Prove to us you’re not a criminal” by somehow obtaining a ticket, regardless of them being unavailable. Is there a railway bylaw which forbids our obscuring this sign with one reading “Prove to us that you’re running a public service?”

Let’s not forget that historically, the Westminster lot spawned this. They continue to support and sustain these disconnected suits with our taxes and their rip-off fares. What are they going to do about it and the entire inadequate, expensive UK public transport shambles? The foreseeable future seems to promise only yet more pollution and chaos on the roads.

The price of prosperity

From: G Cooper, Mill Street, Burlow, Dronfield.

IF a thousand apples are picked from a tree, and a thousand people are allowed to scramble for them, the strong will have more apples than the weak, some of whom will have none.

If the apples are shared out equally, each person will have one apple.

If the number of people is reduced by half, each of the remaining 500 will have two apples.

If the efficiency of apple picking is doubled, each of the 500 will have four apples, but the tree, which has a finite number of apples, will run out of them twice as quickly.

Population, productivity and prosperity are limited. Consideration should be given to the relationship, because our present policies must – in time –lead not merely to failure, but to disaster.

We must decide what we mean by prosperity. Prosperity is not the same thing as happiness.

Elderly rely on local shops

From: Keith Hardy, South Parade, Saxilby.

HOW I endorse the views of Tom Richmond (The Yorkshire Post, December 2) on local shops.

Our village has an excellent fruit, veg and florists that has been there for over 20 years.

For the elderly, they can come in and buy a couple of carrots, apples etc and orders are delivered free of charge. The florist has a great selection of plants, bouquets etc. The couple, who have had the business for over 20 years, are lovely and bend over backwards for the customers.

Our village, like many, has quadrupled over the past 10 years but, like Mr Richmond says, the majority would rather drive to a supermarket or shop online. The odd one will appear late on Christmas Eve for an item the supermarket has run out of.

If you don’t use it, you will lose it. For many older people, it will be a sad day when it happens.

Conmen got off leniently

From: Mr SB Oliver, Churchill Grove, Heckmondwike.

A GANG of nine men conned elderly people in Hull out of tens of thousands of pounds by fraudulently pretending to be police officers by telling them of criminal activity with their bank accounts (The Yorkshire Post, December 2).

The headline read “Gang who targeted elderly in heartless cons handed 33 years”. The figure of 33 is, yet again, the pointless and misleading practice of adding up the total of all the sentences.

The Crown Prosecution spokeswoman said: “I hope the sentences will be of some comfort to the victims and their families.” Now, assuming that the men get the usual 50 per cent remission for good conduct etc, that means they will spend an average of just 21 months in jail and be back out in September 2019.

Knowing that fact would not be of any comfort to me if I were one of their victims.

PC so brave

From: Mike Lowry, Cookridge, Leeds.

PICTURES of PC Martin Willis holding on to the wheel of a truck poised precariously on a road bridge reinforce just how extraordinary our police officers need to be in times of danger.

Quick thinking and personal courage clearly played a part in preventing that truck from careering down the embankment, with possible loss of life. Well done PC Willis, and let us all spare a thought for our police officers who literally never know what is around the corner.