IT'S good to hear police are at last stopping taxi drivers having special privileges and allowing them to break the law by driving down Spring Garden Street (Citizen, last week). They have got away with it for too long.

I presume taxi drivers have compulsory eye tests. Surely they are capable of seeing the large sign saying 'Buses and cycles only' like the rest of us?

I have a 50cc scooter but still cannot take the short cut, so why should they use it when other traffic has to go the long way round?

Mr Hodgson states that fares can be between 50p and £2 higher for the extra distance of about 400 yards. That works out at between £2.50 and £10 per mile, which sounds very greedy to me.

I wonder if taxi fares are to be reduced now that petrol prices have come down by between 3p and 4p per litre in the last couple of weeks. I doubt it.

And anyway, if taxi drivers are allowed to ignore one traffic regulation it may encourage them to break others, such as the 30mph speed 'limit'.

S Roberts, Westgate (full address supplied).