Sir – I wonder if I am alone in being mystified at the extraordinary shutdown that afflicts Oxford and Oxon every Christmas and New Year. Buses and trains are either absent or very infrequent.

Thousands of people need to travel to work, to friends or just travel for pleasure over the holidays. How are they supposed to do so? Not everyone can afford taxis, indeed they are not always economic. Even my rubbish collection will take a month to return to normal. Why?

Surely our councils should take the notion of public service more seriously; surely the bus and train companies should do likewise?

Gerard van Dam, Eynsham