TWO stories resonated for me in the Craven Herald of September 14: Colin Speakman's call for a radical new approach to visiting Malham (Call to stop parking to ease congestion issue) and the depressing news that cycling for transport is less popular now than pre-pandemic (Fewer cyclists on the roads).

The motoring chaos in Malham is clearly unsustainable, so rather than debate the question in endless circles it would be far better to simply give Mr Speakman's ideas a try. It cannot make the situation worse.

It's not at all surprising that fewer people than ever want to cycle our roads. The reason? Infrastructure. Or rather lack of it.

Our roads are too dangerous for all but the most experienced and intrepid riders. Cycling will never be mainstream until our society wakes up to challenge the domination of the over-subsidised monster which is the motor car. It can be done. Holland did it more than a generation ago.

Prior to that they had all the motoring nightmares which we still tolerate, but a populist campaign based on Stop Killing our Children resulted in a complete reversal. The counter-argument used to be "Ah! But Holland is flat!" E-bikes have demolished that, because a good e-bike takes the sting out of any climb and emits barely more carbon than a gasping traditional cyclist.

Sadly our politicians remain mesmerised by the motoring lobby, seeking ever more bypasses which generate ever more traffic and pollution.

Einstein's definition of insanity was "Doing the same thing over and over again but expecting different results". It would seem that (most of) our politicians are insane!

John Fletcher

Sutton-in-Craven