Letter: Country bus misery

Sir: I have every respect for Ken Livingstone ("Don't privatise the Tube by the back door", 17 February) and think he ought to have the chance to run for Mayor of London. But don't many Londoners sound so insular?

He says of the Tube: "It has got so bad that I routinely have to allow an extra 10 to 15 minutes on any journey to cope with unexpected delays."

As a local councillor I recently got a letter from a distressed lady whose only bus is likely to be axed. On Tuesday the bus goes through her village, allowing her to shop in the town for two hours before returning. It is supported by the county council but, with more demands chasing less money, it faces the chop. The saving in taking off one bus a week is clearly minimal.

Where is this happening? Dartmoor? Northern Scotland? The villages affected are Wakes Colne and Mount Bures, a few miles outside Colchester in Essex and about 50 miles from Charing Cross. We know London has serious transport problems but we in the sticks would like a few of its millions.