THE bus stoppage has happened and neither have the roads gridlocked or the sky fallen in, as the doom mongers would have us believe last week.

It certainly strikes me that the quality of life, living, working and travelling in York has improved since the eight-ton monsters were taken off the streets. In fact there can be no dispute that traffic has moved easier through the city, cyclists have been safer and residents living along bus routes have been able to enjoy their local environment again.

Perhaps now is the time for the council to look at introducing mini-bus sized, gas powered vehicles in York and to use the near £600,000 subsidies that First York receive to offer free transport to pensioners, rather than contribute, indirectly to profits for shareholders.

There needs to be a radical rethink on forcing over-large, over-frequent buses along narrow residential roads. Hopefully this stoppage will make people realise the benefits of removing so many HGVs from their local roads.

M Warters,

Yew Tree Mews,

Osbaldwick,

York.

Updated: 11:25 Saturday, September 06, 2003