Pavement parking ban would help cyclists

Councillor Maureen Penny is quoted in the Advertiser (August 11th) as saying that "Improving walking and cycling around the borough is a priority for us as part of our commitment towards being a zero-carbon town".

I contend that this is poppycock of the highest order with the council paying lip service to any real long term intentions to improve matters for walkers and cyclists.

One way in which the authority could immediately improve matters would be to ban the parking of motor vehicles on pavements.

This practice obstructs the safe passage of walkers as well as leading to damage to kerbs and verges.

People who choose to turn their front gardens into parking bays similarly damage kerbs and verges unless they follow the letter of the law and apply to have a drop kerb installed to allow access to their property.

I note that in the photograph accompanying the article on page 5, a car is parked on the pavement!

While that area of the pavement may belong to the trader, that car must have bumped up the kerb and driven across the footpath to get where it is.

Further ahead, there is a van parked on the pavement - a clear obstruction to any lawful pavement user and particularly dangerous to push chair users and partially sighted people.

May I therefore pose an open question to councillors Penny and Renard, why do you not ban motor vehicles from our footpaths?

James Croton

Derwent Drive

Upper Stratton

Decriminalise refusal to pay TV licence fee

So, what does everybody feel about the decision taken by the BBC to charge pensioners over the age of 75 the full licence fee.

Are all of you happy about it?

Is it justified? When the licence fee was collected by the government of the day they made the decision that over 75 years of age would get it for free.

Most of us were very grateful, well I was at least.

Then the collecting of the fee was passed to the BBC to collect it direct.

And yes, it was the BBC who have taken the decision to charge the over 75s.

Perhaps if they put some decent programmes on it would be understandable.

But to charge this outrageous fee from Old Age Pensioners. Just to allow them to Pay the likes of Gary Lineker and Fiona Bruce salaries of £1m.

What is so special about these people. Just why do they deserve such vast amount in salaries that most people couldn't even dream about?

Surely Lineker earned enough during his football career?

Is his commentating on television really worth £1 Million?

Just about every ex top flight footballer could do the same job as he does for much less.

And most of them would be happy to do so.

But it doesn't only stop there. There are many others that we don't know about. And they are on what most people would consider to be extremely generous salaries.

The only thing that can stop the BBC is for the Government to Decriminalise the refusal to purchase a Television licence.

Tell your MPs now otherwise they will not do anything to save any of us.

David Collins

Blake Crescent

Swindon