No surprises

Despite the fact that the service rendered by public services is inefficient and achieves no targets, when they run short of funds they demand more from the taxpayers and the taxpayers, by law, are obliged to cough up!

If we consider the case of travel expenses, the average car does 36 miles to the gallon and the average cost of petrol is £4 a gallon, while the running costs (servicing, wear and tear, depreciation, insurance, road fund licence) are approximately as much again.

The total cost of driving 36 miles is, therefore, £18 and the profit per gallon of petrol is £10

So how are we to get councillors to use second rate public transport when they make £10 profit for every gallon of petrol?

Part of the answer might lie in the definition of expenses... outlay incurred, no mention of profit! Fix the mileage rate at 27.5p per mile.

Russell Mills, Hest Bank.