In response to K Brown (‘Sale of bikes a lot higher than cars’, Opinion, March 18) and R P Blows (‘The right direction’, Opinion, March 18), Mr Brown said 40 million bicycles have been sold in the past ten years. I find it hard to believe they were all bought by residents because, with a population of some 60 million, more than half the population would own a bike and there is currently no evidence to support this.

The figure of 40 million would reduce to four million if bikes were renewed annually, but who would do this? A bike should be serviceable for a number of years.

We know there are 37 million cars on the roads, do we really know how many bikes there are?

As for choice between car and bike, I have no doubts that the car is more popular because of its versatility in use and the numbers parked in residential streets.

Mr Blows forecasts the end of mankind if we continue with car-centred living. I do not believe that will happen because, unlike dinosaurs, we have science to rescue us. Of course, we cannot guard against a collision with an asteroid causing an ‘apocalyptic climate’. Mr Blows will be disappointed the Government does not share his concern.

They are creating a new government-owned company called Highways England to be responsible for upgrading the busiest A roads to ‘mini-motorways’, stripping out roundabouts and traffic lights to get traffic moving. It will be part of a £11billion road revolution.

The Government has been compelled to act because traffic levels are forecast to rise from 274 billion vehicle miles to 368 billion by 2040.

Let us hope the A406 with 75,000 vehicles a day will be in the programme. Even so, it is annoying that a similar improvement to the A406 was approved in 1989 by the Ministry of Transport and later rejected in 2001 by London’s new mayor.

G A Musey

Mitchell Road, Palmers Green