SIR: I refer to the letters recently about cycling. There should be no conflict between motorists and cyclists because in reality there is no such thing as a 'motorist' or a 'cyclist', it is simply a question of people who choose different ways to travel.
At the moment in this country the government is trying to encourage more people to use forms of transport other than cars. If more people switched to cycling it would help everyone - there would be less congestion, less pollution, less road rage, and there would be fewer costs on the NHS because people would be fitter, healthier and less stressed.
The local authority is doing a little, not enough, to encourage cycling because people who choose to cycle have every right to do so and many people at the moment are put off cycling by inconsiderate and reckless driving.
The point about road tax is a nonsense. Road tax covers only a minute part of the cost of Britain's roads (unlike the railways where rail passengers pay for the track) and we all pay for the roads through general taxation. In any case most 'cyclists' have cars and thus pay road tax, while using the roads less.
Neil Taylor
Oakenclough Drive, Bolton
Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.
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