Letter: Forced to use a car

Sir: I bought my first car three years ago and would like to inform Bridget Shield (letter, 27 April) that, having suffered the dangers, dirtiness and expense of public transport with my three young children, I have no guilt about driving my car in London.

I am a single mother and have many horrible memories of being heavily pregnant with tiny children in tow and being given no time to sit down before the bus moved off; of having to stand with the children for entire journeys with no one offering a seat; even of people refusing my children a seat when they were barely old enough to stand.

We experienced numerous dangerous confrontations with junkies, etc, on the Tube and total incomprehension from adults for even being on the Tube at all with young children.

Public transport in London is stressful and expensive and it has no place for the disabled, for children or for the elderly. John Prescott should make it a priority to provide safe, clean and subsidised public transport for everyone.

I did not want to buy a car, I had to.

GILLIAN MELLING

London SE1