Road closure a real pain

Deareditor The Scottish Water Aikenhead Road closure is causing pandemonium for commuters.

The mad morning rush of drivers trying to find alternative ways to join the motorway is bringing Rutherglen and parts of the southside to a standstill.

My commute to work usually takes 25 minutes and has been taking an hour.

Friends in Shawlands tell me the traffic lights at The Shed nightclub in Langside Avenue change about five times before you get through, and you can forget about trying to navigate your way along Pollokshaw Road or through the streets surrounding Govanhill as everyone is trying different back streets.

The whole set-up of the works is shambolic and people were not given enough information or notice of how busy the surrounding roads were likely to become.

Better planning and organisation from the authorities would have allowed people to come up with alternative routes to work or figure out public transport.

What we have been left with are people jumping red lights, blocking junctions and driving aggressively because they are scunnered with the bumper-to-bumper congestion.

Monday morning was like an Armageddon of four by fours, workies’ vans and bus drivers looking like they were one horn toot away from a stroke.

And Scottish Water thanking people “for their patience and co-operation” is bordering on sarcasm.

Motorists have been left with no choice but to be patient as they are stuck in gridlocks that are making them late for work and other appointments.

Marie Campbell Rutherglen

Labour must work with SNP and Greens James Kelly in his column on January 3 briefly touched on a wide variety of important issues about reflecting on hardships of 2017 and challenges for 2018.

He spoke of people frustrations about poor roads and low budgets for SLC for gritting, which was signed of by the previous Labour administration.

I have raised the operational concerns of gritting on Main Street prior to Christmas, with all local councillors. But I am still waiting responses to my email. This situation dangerous and it should never be repeated.

The crux of James Kelly’s column was the testing of devolution and taxation for the budget to rid of austerity.

I completely agree that the Scottish Government should exercise all of the powers they have, but Scottish Labour should be campaigning for broader powers over defence, corporation tax and other such levers.

This would allow us to create the fair society with excellent public services UK Labour seem to desire.

Unfortunately, whilst they simultaneously flip-flop on supporting the renewal of Trident which is the largest single drain on public funds.

James Kelly correctly criticised issues in the NHS and other devolved areas yet Labour have not addressed the same issues in Wales where they hold power.

More specifically with this budget, James Kelly and his colleague must engage in useful dialogue to help construct a fair budget.

The SNP are a minority government but none of the pro-UK parties will engage in dialogue because of pathetic party politics.

We look forward to reading your proposals for the budget Mr Kelly but you are not in power; so start negotiating and shaping policy constructively with the government.

The Greens are the only party that have open dialogue with the Scottish Government on these issues, which some opportunistically criticise, but people should ask themselves why are not the other parties even trying to find compromise? Take the party politics out and let all elected representatives shape the budget Scotland voted for.

Brian Finlay via email

SNP also voted for Ca th kin Relief Road I must confess I am something of a political anorak and have signed up to a website that keeps me updated with every statement given by my MP and MSP in their respective parliaments.

I noticed Clare Haughey MSP had made a statement in the Scottish Parliament relating to the Cathkin Relief Road.

She states: “Despite many of my constituents protesting that the road was not needed and that its construction through a wild park would destroy the habitat of many animals and plants, the previous South Lanarkshire Council Labour administration granted planning permission.” That is all fair enough. But I feel it was worth pointing out to Ms Haughey, in case she had forgotten, that the road was passed unanimously at committee by members from all parties and not a single SNP councillor voted against it – at least according to reports at the time.

The Cathkin Relief Road, therefore, received a stamp of approval from her own party.

Anne McLaughlin Rutherglen

Thank you to Ru’ glen folk who helped us As we start out on another year, I wanted to take this opportunity to say a big “thank you” to your readers and our supporters for their continued commitment to the charity.

Many of your readers have taken part in a host of challenge events and raised funds through, sweat, perhaps a few tears and sheer determination.

Others have supported events as volunteers, and without this army of support we simply wouldn’t be able to function.

Volunteers are the lifeblood of our charity, supporting fundraising, working in our services and shops.

By donating and shopping in our eight stores in Uddingston, East Kilbride, Rutherglen, Motherwell, Wishaw and Coatbridge your readers have helped our local services, as the profits from retail go directly to support the charity’s work with some of Scotland’s most disadvantaged children and young people.

And finally our thanks to you for supporting us by telling your readers about our events, news and campaigns and helping to raise awareness of the work we do in the local community.

So a big “thank you” to you and your readers for helping us and we look forward to their continued support in 2018.

Martin Crewe, Director, Barnardo’s Scotland