Skills and better planning will put transport on right road

From: Sahar Danesh, Institution of Engineering and Technology, Savoy Place, London.

ONE NORTH’S £15bn plan to improve transport, developed by Leeds, Liverpool, Manchester, Newcastle and Sheffield councils, highlights the growing demand for engineers, and the urgent need to ensure a pipeline of future engineering talent ( The Yorkshire Post, August 6).

The report is a very positive step forward as it proposes a number of transport projects which would undoubtedly bring strong economic benefit to the North.But these projects rely on the skills of engineers to deliver them. Currently, demand for engineers remains high in the UK but companies are finding it increasingly difficult to recruit the people they need. This is only going to get worse as major projects such as the One North plan move a step closer to reality. So attracting more engineers with the right skills is a priority.

Another factor crucial to the success of this plan is making sure that individual transport projects are not developed in isolation. The plan makes a strong case for an integrated transport system for the North, but when it comes to implementation, we must look at our transport network as a whole – and on how it will impact Northern cities and the rest of the UK.

From: Colin Cawthray, Stowe Garth, Bridlington, East Yorkshire.

LEEDS Council leader Keith Wakefield says: “Getting the right investment in our transport systems would deliver unprecedented change to better connect people and jobs etc.”

This is rich coming from the council of Leeds. Their latest transport debacle is a park and ride system virtually outside the Leeds United ground. When Leeds has a home game, the car park will be closed. I suggest Coun Wakefield concentrates on the transport system for the citizens of Leeds first.

From: ME Wright, Grove Road, Harrogate.

TONY Lodge ( The Yorkshire Post, August 7) trumpets the value of competition on the railways. In his suit-and-spreadsheet existence, that probably works beautifully; the day-to-day reality is very different.

Outside London, the nonintegrated, fragmented mess of the entire UK public transport infrastructure shows little sign of matching that of mainland Europe.

Right across the political spectrum, the prospect of a properly-funded British Rail is looking increasingly tempting.