I AM in total agreement with "Re-affirmed Car Driver" (Letters, June 30) about the Metrolink. It's a total disgrace for a transport system.

I suggest that MP Ivan Lewis and Transport Minister Derek Twigg travel on the system late at night with its foul-mouthed, fare-dodging drunks with never an inspector to be seen.

Or try using it at the rush hours when they will be packed in like cattle in a foul-smelling, mobile telephone exchange, except of course that the law would not allow animals to be transported in such conditions. That's if you assume it is running in the first place and not suffering one of its all too often breakdowns.

I suggest that before any more money is spent on this dirty, overcrowded system they sort out the Bury to Manchester and Piccadilly lines.

Find the money for more inspectors, both to stop the huge amount of ticket-dodging and to make passengers feel safe travelling on the system; provide more carriages at rush hours; clean the carriages, which often feel like a snack bar with people munching away on them.

Also, buy new carriages to replace the worn-out carriages that we now have to put up with.

In short, sort out the many problems that exist before you spend money on expansion or anything else.

As it now stands, I use the bus as much as possible, its more reliable, safer and mostly a lot cleaner and more comfortable apart from the mobile phones and those who cant stop eating while travelling.

HAD ENOUGH