From: Richard West
Subject: Overcrowding

Oh, there's a surprise... I see that cyclists are getting it in the neck again, this time with Tim Bealby's proposal to reduce overcrowding by banning non-folding bikes completely during rush hours.

Tim, I have a better idea. How about actually providing rolling stock with a sensible specification that includes real, proper bike storage space of a decent size, like we used to have with the old DMUs of Class 117 and their ilk, back in the - dare I say it - good old days?

Tim, have you seen the cost of folding bikes of even a vaguely tolerable quality? In these tough times there's no way on earth I can possibly afford one, certainly nothing as nice as my current non-folding one (which, ironically, I bought for the journey to work). So I am afraid that were bikes to be banned as you suggest, I and no doubt many others would probably be waving bye-bye to the trains for good.

So much for getting cars off the roads, eh? Or for trying to get/keep fit, or for an integrated environmentally-sensitive transport policy.