AS I read Mr Cooper's letter dated June 2, I have to say I strongly disagree with his comments that maniac is a requirement to bus driving or that many (bus drivers) are a disgrace.

I am a bus driver with over 20 years of experience in conveying passengers around Swindon, which in a very busy, ever growing town is not now as straightforward as it once was. The amount of traffic on our roads today is excessive for the size of our town and this in turn makes driving conditions difficult for everyone in spite of new road systems.

As a bus driver, my responsibility is to my passengers and their safety. This is often compromised by a lack of consideration by some other road users. Daily, I contend with illegally parked vehicles, which cause obstruction, and are often parked in bus stops, at other times, it appears that the use of indicators and observation skills are forgotten when negotiating junctions or roundabouts. There are many other examples I could mention. Bus drivers are not mind-readers.

I hope that Mr Cooper's experiences will not put him off using a bus if the need arose.

R P MUMFORD

Westlea