• WHILE I agree with Cllr Bucknell (Camden Conservatives have consistently opposed HS2 and hope the project will be dropped after June 8, May 18) that the HS2 project is ill-conceived, I certainly do not agree with the reasons he has given, let alone the recommendation that people should vote for his party’s candidate when her main opponent is equally opposed to the project.

In terms of transport our greatest need is for an environmentally driven policy where cars and planes become the mode of last resort and long-distance freight is hauled by rail rather than road.

The benefits from such a policy are manifold, covering air quality, road danger, climate change, social exclusion (as currently suffered by many people without access to cars who have lost their buses since 2010), congestion and the noise from road and air traffic.

However, many business meetings are made without the need for personal contact, this will still lead to a need for more rail capacity (for both passengers and freight) and more buses (mainly outside London), with the latter integrated with the trains through a Swiss style Taktfahrplan (regular interval network).

SIMON NORTON
Howitt Close, NW3