Letters to the editor: Every cyclist means one less driver on the road

The more cycles on the road, the fewer cars contributing to congestion.

Cycle safety, please

In response to "I want Laurie" (Letters, June 22). To think that cyclists don't pay taxes is completely ridiculous.

All cyclists would like is a fair deal and safe environment on our city roads. A safe place for our children to ride to school, and to enjoy this city's many attractions.

There is a revolution or evolution happening whether or not Laurie and his peers like it or not.

A revolution in the way we will all be travelling, whether it be by e-vehicles or e-bikes or e-buses, it is happening. San Francisco in 2017, 20 per cent of all vehicle miles driven were by Uber or such like. If you look at a photo of 5th Avenue New York City in 1900, it shows horse and carriages plus one car, only 13 years later a similar photo shows all cars and one horse. Change can happen very quickly.

Just think, in the not too distant future, families will call up an Uber van, zip off to Mount beach for a swim and picnic, no need to worry about parking; door to door no worries. And goodness gracious no congestion, more space for people. Please understand Laurie and your friends, rejoice in the fact every cyclist on the road means there is one less vehicle.

Don Hoult
Tauranga

Battle continues

In the past couple of weeks I have read letters about the abortion issue and the proposal to have abortions moved from a "criminal issue" to a "health issue".

Having fought long and hard for the decriminalisation of abortion in my younger days, I am saddened to read the same old arguments and stance from the "right to life" camp.

It proves to me that women must always continue the vigilance to ensure hard-won battles are not eroded and that the men who have had those letters published are confined to an ever-diminishing minority.

Margaret Rowland
Pyes Pa

Straw straws beat plastic

On the subject of plastic, which seems topical at the moment, I am somewhat bemused by the loathing of plastic straws. Not to say I disagree with that, quite the contrary.

There does, however, seem to be a popular quandary as to how we replace them and paper has been suggested. A reasonable substitute but at what cost to the environment in the production?

When I was a lad a straw was just that, a little pipe made from the stalk of a cereal plant - straw. Yes, just a piece of user-friendly vegetation that was the byproduct of something just as useful so let's not kid ourselves any longer and get back to basics and use straws, the real ones which didn't hurt anything.

On that note, glass milk bottles might help too.
Richard Lacey
Katikati