Sir – Well done to Keith Mitchell for the part he has played in lobbying for lower business rates. Now that he is in Fairy Godmother mode, perhaps he can grant another wish to the residents of Headington and let them keep their pedestrian subway.

I recently bumped into the chief disability transport advisor Mr Gwyn Huish coincidentally by the subway. We had a pleasant conversation leaning against the railings taking advantage of the cordon sanitaire that the width of the descending ramp provided from the noisy traffic.

Were the subway not there, such a pleasant conversation would have been impossible as buses would have hurtled past several feet closer to our ears.

I could not help but notice how many elderly people were using the subway, some with Zimmer frames.

It would be criminal to take it away, purely to facilitate a faster traffic flow. I really hope that Keith sees some sense on this matter as the idea of making buses travel faster and nearer to the public is in direct contradiction to his Transform Oxford ethics!

Susan Thomas, Oxford