I sometimes see empty roads – do we get rid?

AS a hospital employee working across UHL sites, and travelling by bicycle on account of the staff parking shortages, I was surprised to read in your letter section (“I am not anti-cyclist, just anti-unused lanes” by Martyn Shepherd, March 25, and “Better ways to spend money than cycle lanes” by Jackie Caunt, March 27) that I make “no contribution”.

As my recent payslip and bills confirm I am still paying the income tax and council tax that actually fund the roads.

I assume the writer refers to the £20.50 monthly pollution tax I pay for my car?

Like most cyclists, I do also own and tax a car, and I am given to wonder why I should pay more for using a less-destructive mode of transport most of the time?

Every mile I cycle saves the public purse, given the scale of driver subsidy (£2,000 annually for an average, non-urban driver). As for empty bike lanes, one can only assume they are efficiently moving cyclists around, or that the writers are perhaps not around when key workers are commuting.

After all, if I’m going to work later in the day, I can frequently observe empty roads, too, but rarely conclude we should get rid of them.

And certainly the quantity of bicycles at the hospital sites confirms many are using this mode of transport.

My heartfelt thanks to those who have contributed towards making at least the city elements of key worker commuting safe and providing a diversity of travel options.

The difference in experience between city and county commuting is palpable.

Indeed, I was forced off the road three times on Thursday of last week in the county.

R Pritchard, Markfield