Barrie Wickens asks why we need a more efficient bus service.

The answer is simple – we do not all have our own transport, as I suspect he does.

His remark ‘no time to wait for public transport – must go now’. We have no choice but to wait for public transport.

We used to have the Basingstoke bus going through Longparish, but it was decided to bypass the village and divert the route via Andover Down.When I queried it I was told passengers going to work do not want to travel through all the villages.

I understand that, but what I don’t understand is why they cannot have a bus through the village off peak, say mid-morning and mid-afternoon.

That doesn’t sound too difficult does it?

Mr Wickens refers to density of population and foot fall. There are hundreds of houses being built all round Andover, but all the occupiers are going to be forced to travel further afield to shop as we watch our town centre slowly die.

I agree we have a number of independent shops but they do not supply all our needs.

We have seven jewellers.

There is no sensible balance of the shops we are getting.

There seems to be a lack of common sense these days – whoever thought of placing Shopmobility at the furthest point from the shopping precinct?

June Groves, Longparish