IN his letter about keeping traffic from the footstreets, PJ Markwick asks: "What about a special vehicle for the disabled and elderly?" (December 8).

Many thanks for that suggestion. I'm sure that, God forbid, should PJ Markwick ever become reliant on a wheelchair - as I have been for the past 11 years - they would be happy, and make the time, to wait in the car park at Layerthorpe for a vehicle that may never come.

I'm also sure they would be happy to wait for the next journey because the vehicle used can only hold one or two wheelchairs and there are many waiting, or wait an age because it requires each chair to be loaded separately by a tail-lift - not forgetting the extra time unloading at the other end.

They would, of course, then be happy to reverse this procedure when they had finished their business in town - all the while bearing in mind the extra time required to conduct their business around town, because of using a wheelchair.

Good luck to you Mr Markwick, you're a better and much more patient person than I, not to mention all the extra time you're suddenly going to magic up should you become a wheelchair user.

H Watson,

Waterdale Park,

Huntington, York.

Updated: 10:17 Wednesday, December 17, 2003