Sir.-I write in reply to Alicia Hollow's letter in last Thursday's Gazette.

I am a bus driver in Basingstoke and the reason we do not stop in the bus stops any more is because the council highways department has painted yellow boxes before the stops and, in some cases, removed the lay-bys altogether.

It has been done to slow traffic and ease congestion in rush hour.

Anything that helps traffic flow is a good idea for both passengers and road users alike.

-D Boustead, Basingstoke bus driver.