Letters of the week, January 25
This week: Smart motorways, parent-and-child parking (again), and illegal foreign cars.
Red flag to a bull
With horror I read of the new breed of speed cameras being installed on so-called “smart motorways” (“Drivers warned to stick to 70mph as motorway speed cameras arrive by stealth”, January 11). What is smart about a motorway without a hard shoulder where the speed limit is no greater than a dual carriageway? What next — a requirement to mount a red flag on the bonnet of our cars?
Tony Hartley, Hartley Wintney, Hampshire
Space invaders
I can only assume Brian Dugan has never experienced the joy that is supermarket shopping with a baby or toddler (“Parental guidance”, Points, last week). Parent-and-child spaces are wider, to allow full opening of the rear doors, and are located close to stores to reduce the chances of children being injured. Using parent-and-child spaces when you do not need to is ignorant and downright rude.
Clare Younger, Thorne, South Yorkshire
Young at heart
I often drive my 95-year-old great-grandfather Henry to the supermarket and regularly use the parent-and-child parking bays. We call them “grandfather-granddaughter spaces”.
Christina Jones, Welling, London
Short arm of the law
I had to laugh at your report on Operation Jessica (“Nowhere left to hide for rogue foreign drivers”, last week). The previous day my van was badly damaged by a Polish-registered lorry. Its driver claimed not to speak English and refused to provide his insurance details, so I called the police. Their response was, “What’s it got to do with us?” and refused to attend.
Nick Craddock, Pewsey, Wiltshire
Warsaw fact
The two Birmingham traffic police quoted in your article should take a short drive to Leominster, in Herefordshire, and to Evesham, in Worcestershire. There are more Polish cars in these two towns than I saw in Warsaw recently.
Roger Powell, Hadzor, Worcestershire
