YEP Letters: March 9

Don’t just blame diesel cars

DS Boyes, Leeds

The hysteria over diesel cars has taken a new turn. Now the secretary of state for transport is suggesting not to buy diesels.

I bet both the motor manufacturers and oil companies are pleased. But it’s hypocritical to blame just diesel cars for pollution, as a recent survey shoes they make only a small i.e. 11 per cent contribution of nitrogon oxides. More, i.e. 14 per cent, comes from non mobile machines on construction site, diggers, mixers, compressors, generators, and cranes etc. While even more such emissions come from buses and trains. The new toxicity charge to be imposed by the Mayor of London is also discriminatory, insofar as it will exclude buses, taxis, trains and machines with only cars and commercial vehicles having to pay. No doubt other cities including Leeds will follow that example, which will lose shops here even more badly needed customers. The trouble is that everyone ignores the main cause of pollution and every other problem, over population with too many people, too many cars for our roads, public services and atmosphere to cope with. The only way to get clean air in central Leeds would be to ban all traffic.

Train could get across Pennines in nine minutes

PLANS for an underground 300mph railway that could link Leeds and Manchester in just nine minutes have been handed to transport officials. The London-based consortium behind the proposal says the line could also bring a rail service to Leeds Bradford Airport for the first time. Direct City Networks (DCN) says it has drawn up plans for a line under the Pennines on which trains would hover above the track with electrically charged magnets propelling them forwards at more than 100mph faster than the government’s proposal for an “HS3” line connecting the east and west coasts. Here’s how our readers have reacted to the proposal on Facebook..

Jason Grant

That just brings Lancashire closer to Yorkshire which I think we can all agree is not welcome. A wall seems more appropriate I would say and gets my vote and tax pounds.

Johnny Abraham

As great as this sounds it will never happen. The only thing that will happen is loads of useless people will be paid vast sums of taxpayers money to sit and debate the pros and cons of it and go back and forth before in 15/20 years time deciding not to go ahead with it!

Mark Swinden

Something like this is what we should be building rather than HS2 that will be outdated by the time it’s completed, and no doubt millions of pounds over budget!

Alexander David Swinden

Think it would be a good idea, think a good transport system is worth paying out for if you have ambitions of growing into a big European country. It may be a lot and yes money could be spent elsewhere, but the economic boost could then be put into other things into helping the city out.

Nick Walsh

They should concentrate on electrifying the line between Leeds and Manchester instead of wasting money on this. I’m sure someone will take it up though. Three billion with no intention of ever completing it. Sounds like the rapid transit plans of Leeds.

Chris Owen

This is inconceivable. The resultingly rapid culture shock between the two places is more than the human organism can endure, with just 9-minutes’ psychological acclimatisation time.

Ramsden Les

Even though it sounds amazing personally I’d like to see the money spent in NHS/social care/ mental health services to be honest. I mean we need these services more then a fast train.

Amy Green

Whilst I understand the disbelief from people, we absolutely have to look at our transport links in the city. We’re lagging behind other cities massively.

Louise Godfrey

Nine minutes is not long enough to psyche myself up for journeying into the badlands.

John Paynter

As if this will happen, we couldn’t even sort out a tram from Leeds to Lawnswood.

Jon Kirkham

Would this be before or after they’ve sorted homelessness, poverty, sick and disabled, elderly care etc?

Si Wright

One thing at a time, we haven’t even built the already obsolete HS2.

Benjamin Stewart

But then loads of Manchester people would be coming over all the time playing their Britpop.

Cath Sawyer

When I was at school nearly 40 years ago this was being suggested!

Martin Kelly

They’d do better spending the money on getting the buses to run on time.

John Mace

Went on a maglev train about 10 years ago. I’d love to have one here, fantastic invention.

Leeds business bosses are calling for a revamp of the city centre to create a ‘Waterway District’ to make its river and canal fronts more accessible to residents and visitors. The West and North Yorkshire Chamber of Commerce says in a report entitled Leeds: A Waterfront City? that while the city is home to excellent waterways in the shape of the River Aire and the Leeds-Liverpool Canal they are currently too much of a ‘hidden asset’ and in large part inaccessible to the public. Here’s what YEP readers have been saying about the proposal on Facebook..

John Andrew Thornley

Nice idea but like everything else in Leeds they’ll talk about it, do a costing on it, set up a quango to look a it’s feasibility, talk about it again, seek public opinion then scrap it.

Tanya Collier

I love walking along the canal from Rodley into Leeds city centre but there are certain areas from Kirkstall bridge that I don’t like and wouldn’t ride or walk on my own.

Martin Walker

Nice idea, but using the river and canal would be better. More canal boats as houses or house boats on the river... beautify the areas, dredge the river so it’s deeper. Something run on them to collect the rubbish. I’ve enjoyed a nice long walk from city centre to Apperley Bridge before today. Could do with some easy access cafés or shops for refreshments. Though the Abbey Inn at Newlay Locks is nice to stop into.

Gary Van Jackson

YES! I’m not from Leeds but we come most weekends, love the place, busy modern city, canals, waterways, amazing bars and places to eat plus Leeds folk are lovely folk too.

Gary Brown

They would have to up the safety around canal and river so people don’t fall in after drinking. So many have fallen in and drowned.

Chris Rhodes

Didn’t they try this 15 years ago and no one cared for it? Too lazy to walk over from the main area.

Susan Foote

We walk from Woodlesford to city centre, lovely walk apart from where work is being carried out and we have to walk on the road.

Yaki Kadafi

Roads are congested, make use of canals.

Julie Mcdonnell

Soon won’t know where we are in this country with all ‘waterfront’ areas looking identical!

Aiden Fryer

Cycling lanes will probably be removed folks.

Let us know what you think

THE Yorkshire Evening Post wants you to share your views with other readers. Whether you’re commenting on a very local topic, a national story or international affairs please join the debate. You can email your letters to [email protected] and please keep them under 300 words.