Letter: Roman buses

Sir: Mr Redfern (letter, 30 October) praises the European system of buying bus tickets from a wide network of tobacconists, hotels etc. But delays do occur. They exist in going to the tobacconist to buy a ticket, who has sold out, and then walking another 100 yards in the opposite direction from the bus stop to the newsagents to procure the right to travel by public transport. And in the process missing the bus. Of course Italian buses are backed by public subsidy; hardly anyone can be bothered to buy a ticket.

STEPHEN BISGROVE

Rome