Letter: Museum charges

Sir: In a realistic world, there is a fair, flexible and moderate path between free entry to museums and the high fixed charges which deter "pop-in" visitors.

The system which works admirably for car parking - take a ticket on entry, pay on exit - must surely be adaptable for museums and galleries. The scale of charges would reflect the amount of time the visitor stays, starting with a nominal amount, perhaps as little as 50p, for up to half an hour.

This system would require investment in ticket and payment machines, but the high level of automation would reduce the ongoing costs of selling tickets personally. As a bonus, it could provide useful and reliable management information.

PATRICIA SMITH

London SW1