K Brown (‘Council is not to blame for this one’, Opinion, August 6) and David Hughes’ (‘Motorists are feather-bedded’, Opinion, August 6) criticism of Mr King is unwarranted because although providing more space for traffic in London is difficult, it can be done by making better use of what we have.

Mr Brown says bus lanes were a short-term provision to take the strain of passenger requirement whilst the Tube and rail systems were improved. Therefore, they can now be removed, job well done, to free up road space for all the traffic.

Stop restricting traffic movement in residential areas, which produces traffic congestion elsewhere. Larger expensive projects involve underpasses and flyovers to eliminate traffic holdup and congestion causing poor air quality. Banning the more poisonous diesel fuel would improve poor air quality.

Mr Brown absolves Enfield Borough Council of blame but I blame them for acquiescing to Transport for London’s (TfL) closure of Melville Gardens, an unnecessary bus lane on the A406 between Chequers Way and Green Lanes, which saves just five minutes running time but creates excessive traffic congestion and the all-day bus lane west of the Cambridge roundabout, which also creates excessive traffic congestion on the A10.

TfL’s recent improvements on the A406 have resulted in long tailbacks of traffic on Green Lanes. Is Enfield Council concerned?

On the question of motorists’ costs, it is nonsense to say they are heavily subsidised and feather-bedded by the community. I do not accept Mr Brown’s figure of £1,500 per car because apart from the billions of pounds they pay in tax to use the roads, they also pay income tax to pay for the adjacent services and externalities listed by Brown and Hughes.

Finally, Mr Hughes’s solution for reducing traffic will not happen because drivers will not give up their cars and use public transport, cycle or walk, and driver-only cars will remain. Did Mr Hughes ever drive alone? He keeps on about children’s independence. What does he mean and what age group? How will reducing car numbers help the local high street survive and how will quality of life improve in residential streets when most of the residents have their car parked outside the house?

G A Musey

Mitchell Road, Palmers Green