Sir, I was dismayed and infuriated by your article on September 11 regarding the absolute nonsensical idea by Perth and Kinross Council that fair city taxi drivers need to go on a training course at a cost of £120.
It is a completely patronising, unnecessary idea thought up by some overpaid bureaucrat at the council with nothing better to do than interfere in something that does not concern them. All they want to do is tick boxes and be politically correct.
I have been using taxis in Perth for 12 years and I have been highly impressed with the service at all times. The drivers are polite, helpful, friendly and efficient and always help you get your shopping out of the car and as a disabled user with heart and knee problems, I have always felt perfectly safe in a taxi in Perth.
I notice that the Perth and Kinross Council solicitor said one of the aims of the scheme would be to create a better image of Perth. I think if the council are that concerned about the image of Perth they should look closer to home, at some of the many eyesores in Perth nothing is being done about City Hall, St Paul’s Church, Cruachan Pub and get their own house in order before insisting hard-working taxi drivers shell out £120 to do an unnecessary course. Do all the years of experience they have as drivers count for nothing?
I can honestly tell you, as a customer of both taxis and Perth and Kinross Council, you get more customer service and friendliness from taxi drivers than you do from Perth and Kinross Council.
Gordon Kennedy. 117 Simpson Square, Perth.
Wind turbines not a priority
Sir, I write with regard to reports of Fife Council and the installation of wind turbines in various publicly-owned locations.
Given the gross unpopularity of wind turbines, I would hope that consultation with the public is open and honest. This cannot be a done deal.
I was under the impression there are strict health and safety concerns with regard to their closeness to occupied buildings where turbines may not be sited. Surely this would rule out locations such as sports centres, community halls and such like.
Turbines mounted on recently built schools in Fife are very small and do not threaten public safety. There have been instances of larger turbines being blown down in gales in recent years.
Since turbines have to be purchased, installed and maintained, the hoped for economy may not materialise. We do need binmen, parks maintenance, potholes filled, roads repaired, dog wardens and suchlike more than we need deputies, assistants, facilitators and several other fancy titles of dubious function.
More common sense would be appreciated.
A T Geddie. 68 Carleton Avenue, Glenrothes.
Is thin blue line fit enough?
Sir, It is to be hoped that Police Scotland are notjust simply recording the basic elapsed time when fitness-checking their recruits.
At least as, if not more, important than the time taken is the recovery time.
It certainly used to sort the men from the boys when I was still involved in such things and, overall, theover-35s got their breathing, pulse, blood pressure and blood oxygen levels back to normal more quickly than the under-35s.
Mind you, perhaps this was because our breathing rate, pulse and blood pressure were already pretty high to start with.
Laurie Richards. 100 Crail Road, Cellardyke.
The trials and tribulations
Sir, Not for the first time, I am depressed by the apparent ignorance of the existence of a separate Scottish legal system on the part of members of your staff.
In a report of the Oscar Pistorius case in The Courier, your reporters say: “But the judge appeared to indicate he will be convicted of culpable homicide the South African equivalent of the UK’s manslaughter charge…”
This seems to imply that there is a UK legal system and that manslaughter is a crime under that system.
In fact, there are three separate legal systems in the United Kingdom: Scotland, England and Wales, and Northern Ireland.
In Scotland there is no crime of manslaughter; the equivalent crime as in South Africa is culpable homicide.
Alastair Stewart. 86 Albany Road, Broughty Ferry, Dundee.
Top marks for hospital staff
Sir, I would like to thank all of the staff at ward 16 Ninewells Hospital, Dundee.
From the surgeons, anaesthetists, operating theatre staff and ward staff to the cleaners and porters, I could not have got better attention during my short stay.
So many reports on the NHS seem to be negative, I thought I would attempt to redress the balance. Thanks, once again, all at ward 16 at Ninewells.
Ronnie Smith. Oaklea, Forgandenny.