Brussels failures will cost lives

Jane Riekemann (Letters, February 25) unconvincingly attempts to excuse the EU Commission vaccine procurement and approval fiasco.

We recently had the very good news that both our current vaccines are assessed as highly effective after 28 days, including a high level of protection for the elderly.

This level of protection with one dose is significantly better than originally predicted.

This demolishes the disgusting, politically motivated smear of Macron, Merkel and Von der Leyen that the Oxford Astra Zenica vaccine was unsuitable for use on the over-65s.

With the EU vaccination rollout already in disarray (symbolically a major vaccination centre in Brussels was virtually deserted on one day recently), these irresponsible comments will cost the lives of thousands of vulnerable EU citizens.

But, hey, if it perpetuates the “ever closer political union” fantasy, then no doubt Macron, Merkel and the EU Commission callously regard these avoidable deaths as a price well worth paying.

I doubt if those grieving for lost loved ones will be consoled by their involuntary martyrdom!

Hungary, with no reason to love or trust Russia after its brutal suppression of that country in 1849, 1945 and 1956, has been forced in desperation to purchase the Sputnik vaccine to compensate for the EU Commission’s, literally fatal, procurement and approval incompetence. Meanwhile, after all the furore in January over the Astrazenica delivery delays, a million doses of that vaccine were reported sitting unused in German fridges at the end of February.

Every jab delayed represents a potential death of a vulnerable citizen but, of course, “Mutti” knows best. Let us hope that there will be no further pathetic attempts from our local EU apologists to defend the indefensible! Roger White Bath

B&NES, along with many councils throughout the country, is promoting cycling and walking within the city.

Now, whilst the concept of less pollution and congestion is commendable, actually putting this into practice in a meaningful way is not so easy, as we have seen from many of the initiatives already put in place.

B&NES is bidding for funding from central government for “Active Travel” throughout the city.

The proposal I am writing about is the ridiculous plan to promote North Road as the Active Travel Route to Bath University.

This would entail, among other measures, bus gates on North Road and a dedicated safe/cycle route to the university, at no small cost.

I am not sure how the decision came about to use North Road as the “Active Travel” route to the university, as anyone who uses the three hills to the university will tell you, Widcombe Hill is the one most used by cyclists.

Living as I do on Widcombe Hill, and seeing the increase in traffic on the hill over the past few years; I took it upon myself to monitor the traffic on all three hills to the university, Widcombe Hill, Bathwick Hill and North Road.

I monitored all modes of transport over a period of some months and it is noticeable that the vast majority of cyclists and pedestrians travelling to Bath University use Widcombe Hill.

Although Widcombe Hill is possibly the steepest hill, it is by far the most convenient for students and lecturers coming via train or from the southern side of Bath.

I cannot imagine why B&NES would think that cyclists would cycle along the busy Pulteney Road to join the dedicated cycle way on North Road, when they can just as easily cycle straight up Widcombe Hill.’ By the time they had cycled to the bottom of North Road, they could easily be more than halfway up Widcombe Hill.

What kind of half baked idea is this? Did anyone within the council do any kind of survey themselves?

As a cyclist myself, my preference is to cycle up Bathwick Hill as it is the least torturous, but I invariably use Widcombe Hill as it is so much more convenient.

Unfortunately with the increase in traffic on Widcombe Hill, I do see an accident waiting to happen with so many speeding cars on the hill, more cyclists and pedestrians using it and no place to keep 2m apart without taking your life in your hands and stepping out onto the road. With proper traffic management; which the residents of Macaulay Buildings have been requesting for years now, Widcombe Hill would be a much more sensible proposal for Active Travel to Bath University.

I fear that should B&NES go ahead with promoting North Road as the Active Travel Route, it will end up like so many other so called “improvements” a waste of good money; which this council can ill afford to squander.

Sharron von Tutschek Bath