Poisoned city

Like Stuart Crawford, I have advocated a free bus pass scheme for all Edinburgh citizens as the most effective means of reducing excessive car use (Perspective, October 25). He applies the valid metric of the cost savings which could be achieved by a reduction in traffic accidents.

I would add another: Atmospheric pollution. Nitrogen Dioxide (NO2) and diesel particulates trigger a variety of respiratory and cardiovascu- lar conditions and a range of diseases such as pneumonia, angina, cardiac attack, strokes and deterioration of brain function, while inhalation of toxic particles by pregnant women brings risks of premature birth and reduced birthweight. The annual cost of poisonous air to the UK economy and the NHS is in the order of £20 billion.

Edinburgh’s record is particularly scandalous. The council recently gave consent for a hotel of up to 11 storeys on the Cowgate alongside the City Library where a recent reading recorded an NO2 level of 43.7, which is above the legal limit. The council’s own environmental officers recommended against consent, but were ignored. Astonishingly, the Scottish Environment Protection Agency offered no objection to a scheme which, as a result of the “canyon effect”, will greatly increase the atmospheric toxicity at a site which already breaches the law.

The provision of free bus passes to Edinburgh residents could solve such problems at a stroke, particularly if the speed limit in bus lanes was 30mph while the 20mph limit continued to apply to other traffic. The proposed alternative of punitive charges on vehicles entering and parking in the city is in essence a regressive tax which discriminates against low income groups. Visitors to the city could provide a revenue stream for the bus companies, and benefit from a cleaner, safer environment, while greenhouse gas emissions could be significantly reduced.

Other cities have experimented with zero-fares schemes. Why can’t Edinburgh?

DAVID J BLACK St Giles Street, Edinburgh

The suggestion by Stuart Crawford in his Scotsman article that free bus travel for all is affordable is interesting yet debatable – but might it benefit Edinburgh by reducing volume of traffic in the city centre and even speed its flow to nearer that 20mph restriction on which so much road paint and signposting was spent?

Years ago, visiting Perth, the capital of Western Australia, I found its free bus system CAT (Central Area Transit) a boon and when getting on buses in the centre it also saved time rummaging for change.

Of course, Edinburgh’s Council chiefs, to save money, are considering an extra £25 annual levy for garden waste collections, so one wonders, what next? Doubtless the Greens, despite favouring tax rises, draw the line on a proposal grating against environmental benefit.

JIM CRAIGEN Downie Grove, Edinburgh