Letter: Choked city

Sir: I was surprised that in Ken Livingstone's proposals to help London's transport problem he didn't mention the river ("My blueprint to end the transport misery in London", 14 July). I spent last weekend in the capital and walked a long way by the Thames. It is surprising how empty of traffic it is.

Recently I was in Brisbane, which also has a large river running through the centre of the city. But Brisbane has a fleet of fast catamaran water buses serving about 15 stops. These run on a regular service of up to 15-minute intervals during peak hours and 20-30 minutes off-peak. Fares are cheap and the service is well used.

Although water traffic can only make a small impact on the overall problem, at least any easing of the commuter's lot should be welcome.