Sir, I have been following the correspondence concerning bus usage in Oxford and am surprised there has been no mention of the practice which is in use in Birmingham and Edinburgh, where I have seen it in action. There is a fixed fare rate within the city and no change is given.

This makes it much easier for the buses to keep to a fixed timetable and makes life easier for the drivers. I am a frequent bus traveller and am often irritated by people fumbling in their purses and admire the drivers' patience. Such a system would require a great deal of advance publicity and would take a bit of getting used to, but if Birmingham and Edinburgh and perhaps many other cities find it worthwhile perhaps Oxford should give it a try.

Rosemary Stanford, Oxford