Sir – I appreciated Mary Hodges’ courteous response to the letters of Peter Fry and myself. I also have sympathy with her desire to free the glorious architecture of High Street from the noise and pollution of buses. But sadly her solution is not really satisfactory.

The long drag on the airport buses from Gloucester Green to Thornhill is bad enough, but I suspect the time element of buses circling Oxford on the ring road, diverting into the four park-and-ride stations and then rejoining the ring road, as Ms Hodges suggests, really is unacceptable, as is the additional pollution which would be caused. Buses from places like Witney, Carterton or, for example, Chipping Norton do not go via the park-and-ride stations. Therefore we would be forced to use cars or taxis. This would increase the number of cars on the road and since few people fly and return within a day, parking is impossible.

Sorry Ms Hodges, I may have some sympathy with you, but you have not offered a viable solution.

And while on the subject of buses from Witney, I hope that the county council transport department will have noted that not only did two Witney residents write to you on February 18, but that two more have written on February 25 underlining the frustration of travelling by bus to Oxford.

And even an Abingdon resident has written discussing a light rail solution for those of us who live to the west of the city.

Perhaps the rising irritation of residents coming from west of Oxford would be alleviated somewhat if the S1, S2 and S3 buses were permitted to operate an express service once they are inside the ring road. It is annoying for those from the west to see the large number of buses plying the routes along the Banbury, Woodstock and Botley Roads. Those of us who have already been travelling for up to an hour from outside Oxford have to endure stopping constantly to pick up Oxford residents, who firstly already have a large choice of buses to ride and, secondly, often get off again two stops later!

Please can Witney and towns to the west of Oxford have a reasonably expeditious bus service, both to get in and out of our city and to get to the airport without undue bus changes or endless rides round the ring road.

David Bond, Witney