Sir, I read with interest your article (July 29) regarding complaints about cyclists in Glenrothes.
Peter Scobie makes an excellent point. People are being encouraged to “get on their bike” here in Glenrothes and Fife Council is certainly doing its bit by extending the cycle path network in the town.
There is, however, a problem not just in Peter’s area of the town but it is widespread throughout the town.
Some of the cycle paths are well maintained with clear markings as to where cycling should be and where pedestrians should walk, however the majority either have no markings, making it a free for all, or the markings have been worn to the extent that they are unclear.
Alison Irvine from the authority’s access team is only partially right in pointing people to the Outdoor Access Code.
There is a duty on cyclists to follow the Highway Code.
In many of the countries in Europe, cycling is much more popular than here and there are no real issues.
There are cycle paths and separate footpaths in places, however, where the two are combined, both cyclists and pedestrians manage to mix well.
This is due to the fact that all bikes have bells. When a cyclist approaches a pedestrian, the bell is sounded to alert the pedestrian to the approaching bike. It is simple.
Both cyclists and pedestrians have a duty to look out for each other.
Sadly, cyclists have in the main been forced off our roads on to footpaths due to traffic.
In my street we regularly have issues with cyclists on footpaths passing our gate.
Children are going to be injured if something is not done. A bicycle is a vehicle, therefore it is a traffic management issue not just an access code issue.
Leslie Bain. 87 Rimbleton Avenue, Glenrothes.
Motorists being criminalised
Sir, I read your article on local crime figures on Monday with some interest and much surprise.
If my interpretation of the figures is correct, it appears that motoring offences are now being recorded as crimes and I would question why?
Do members of the public really expect offences such as speeding or nodocumentation to be classified in the same way as crimes like assault, housebreaking or theft?
I suspect not and believe that this is simply an exercise is making statistics read well for our beleaguered Police Scotland.
Virtually all motoring offences by their very nature will, of course, be recorded as detected so, therefore, if they are now included in total crime figures, the overall performance for detections will look more positive than it is in reality.
A case of smoke and mirrors in my opinion.
It also seems quite disingenuous to suggest that otherwise law-abiding motorists might soon be classed as criminals under this new system.
Couple this with the recent discussion around the country moving towards a zero-tolerance approach to speeding and it appears that we could soon be in a situation where the great majority of us are likely to be facing a criminal record at some stage in our lives.
Derek Horne. 38 Dalhousie Court, Links Parade, Carnoustie.
Scotland’s novel weed solution
Sir, I read with great interest your articles regarding the threat of giant hogweed and the need to eradicate it for reasons of health and safety due to its sap being known to cause severe skin disorders.
However, I find that to cause irritation to the skin, the sap requires one other element, and that is sunshine.
Taking into regard the lack of the secondary item this year, would it not be better to seek advice from the Meteorological Office to determine how we may maintain this current dreich and dismal weather pattern rather than spend a fortune on weed killer?
Ron Blanchard. 177 Kinghorn Road, Burntisland.
Charge for use of Fife’s libraries
Sir, Due to the ineptitude of my service provider, I have been without broadband for two weeks. A friend suggested I use the computers in the library, so I went to Cowdenbeath.
The staff were helpful and cheery, the facilities were clean and neat, there was an area for children, information leaflets, a tableaux with the history of the local co-op and a steady flow of young and old customers.
I was very impressed, particularly as I had not set foot in a library for at least 40 years.
I think Fife Council have taken the wrong approach on the proposed closures.
A library is an asset and should be built on by making them more involved in the community. The cash savings on closure seem modest. Perhaps a small charge for using a computer would go some way to make up the shortfall.
Bill Shand. 56 Thimblehall Drive, Dunfermline.
Disaster looms on UK doorstep
Sir, As a frequent traveller to the UK by Eurotunnel, I am horrified by the current policy of the mayor and national gendarmes at Calais.
It is a highly anti-British stance which, at times, can encourage illegal immigrants on to UK-bound vehicles.
The French exit procedures are pretty lax and general security is not good.
This can only lead to more migrants, more troublemakers and may even open the door to more unthinkable dangers to the UK.
There are very real potential dangers on the doorstep of Britain.
The UK Government talks big on security, while reducing budgets. Special forces numbers have dropped badly and defence has taken a back seat to foreign aid, NHS waste and paying far too many politicians too much.
When you let good forces and security go and get a bad name, you will struggle to regain.
It is particularly sad that the number of MoD officials and civil servants seem as many as ever.
We must share the migrant problem fairly with other European countries. We all have a moral duty to take responsibility.
Why not put half of Britain’s foreign aid budget, largely wasted anyway, to help well-vetted migrants with clear potential into the UK, give them training and help them to contribute to the economy?
Rather than sending expensive NHS recruitment teams to the Far East to find staff, we should send them to Calais so they recruit as well as ease the pressure on the borders.
I do not pen this lightly but I fully believe the current situation on our border could blow up in our faces very soon.
Alastair Chisholm. Cap del Castel 46100, Cardaillac, France.
UK broke vowto Scotland
Sir, When the BBC’s Andrew Marr asked Alex Salmond straight if a second referendum was inevitable, he received a straight answer.
That answer was, yes, but the timing will be decided by Nicola Sturgeon.
Yet, once again, the media responds furiously by asking why the SNP go on and on about this second referendum when they had vowed that the last referendum was a once in a lifetime event.
The only vow that was made before the referendum was by the Better Together side and we have yet to see how that will turn out.
It is time that Better Together recognised that the once in a lifetime comment was made before the referendum, and needs to be put in context.
I joined the SNP in 1964 so I have witnessed much in those years.
I have seen how, after many years of pressure, Scotland eventually got a devolved administration, but on Westminster’s terms. It was given an electoral system designed to ensure that the SNP could never have a majority.
In 2007 the SNP became the largest party but without a majority. They decided to form a minority Government.
The unionist opposition parties soon made clear the limitations of the SNP’s position.
They forced through a decision to go ahead with the Edinburgh tram project against the SNP’s opposition.
They also made it clear that should the SNP ever bring in proposals for a referendum, this would be blocked.
Then in 2011 the SNP won a majority. They were not supposed to do that. That majority allowed them to pass a referendum bill and even David Cameron, whose permission was still required to actually hold that referendum, had to concede.
What has changed is not that Alex Salmond has gone back on a pledge but that the whole political situation in Scotland has now changed and it is Westminster that is going back on a pledge.
Unionists should recognise that they are not in control any more.
Nick Dekker. 1 Nairn Way. Cumbernauld.
Leninist move by Holyrood
Sir, The towering intellects who comprise the Scottish Government propose that state-appointed guardians are responsible for all children under 18 in Scotland.
I have five grandchildren based in Scotland. Fortunately, three of them are now over 18.
One is in paid employment in England.
The other is a feisty 14-year-old and a high achiever.
I cannot imagine that she would not give short shrift to anyone coming between her and her parents. Where did this idea come from? It is far more statist than anything proposed by Lenin. It surely comes from the Pol Pot manual.
Ian Strachan. Eathie, Golf Course Road, Blairgowrie.
No east-west Harley divide
Sir, In my letter of July 22 regarding the Harley-Davidson in the City event, I stated it was my understanding that there had been an internal disagreement between west and east coast chapters of the Harley-Davidson Owners Club.
I have since been informed by the director of the Dunedin Chapter that relations with the Clyde Chapter have always been and remain very cordial and I am happy to be corrected on this matter.
I apologise for any confusion this may have caused.Mark Arbuthnott.50 Market Street,Brechin.