Traffic cameras

An article was run back at the end of February in the Star regarding how Sheffield Council could not seem to get its traffic cameras “up and running” to allow viewing by the public who, it was reported, particularly like to use them to monitor roads and traffic in the somewhat snowy conditions which we were experiencing at the time.

Being as the university has been able to maintain a full time, real-time web cam link to the peregrines for the last seven years or so, perhaps the council need to talk to the university to ask them how it’s done or just hand the whole traffic-cams thing over to them as a project.

Methinks they could do worse!

Norton, S14

Where are biking docks?

A lot of us are wondering when the biking docks will arrive for all the strewn about, yellow ofo bikes that are causing a pathway hazard in Sheffield? Or did Cllr Jack Scott, once Cabinet Member for Environment, neglect to consider that?

Presumably, in the same way, he failed to factor in the highway trees when he was Cabinet Member for Environment and formulating and finalising the Streets Ahead contract with Amey? Forethought seems to be something with which our Labour-run council struggle.

In London, where Santander sponsors black bikes for hire, there are a number of well-situated, biking docks and those that use the bikes, place them back there.

The same in Nice, Cannes and other major French towns and cities where they have blue bikes for hire (and electric cars).

Our Labour-run council will be very familiar with how the blue bikes and their many well-situated docks work in France, as they attend MIPIM (Le marché international des professionnels de l’immobilier), an international property event hosted in Cannes, France each March, paid for by the Sheffield taxpayer. So, perhaps during this annual trip, they could learn a few lessons and apply them on return, along with a number of others regarding our environment and attracting the right investments in our wonderful city.

Sheffield deserves better than half-thought-through ideas and projects, no matter how well meaning.

by email

NHS awash with money

Yet more cries for NHS funding which, like all other times, will go to the administrators for distribution. Administrators who feather their own nests first and hopefully then have a short fall for the nursing side, resulting in heart rending cries for yet more funds and so on and so on.

The result is that you hear of wards, operating theatres. care homes and A & E’s closing but never office blocks. You hear of nurses, doctors and midwives being made redundant but never administrators. You hear of shortages of laundry, beds, dressings and drugs, but never stationery.

Retiring consultants, nurses and doctors should be seconded on to fund allocation committees in place of administrators, with the brief to fulfil nursing budgets first and then the rest to the admin side. If that means that administrators and managers have to manage with scratches on their mahogany desks, coffee stains on their Axminster carpets and dents in their designer filing cabinets , tough.

The NHS is awash with money, it just wants spending properly.

Mike Simpson

Worcester Rd, Sheffield, S10

Poem - cut down to size

I know the tree felling has supposedly stopped for pruning and that is kind of cool

But all weekend I expected Cllr Lodge to leap out from behind a stump shouting “April Fool!”

Street tree supporter

Dirty tricks over TARAS

In reply and support to the article in the Star from Mick Danials on Monday, March 26, about the TARAS, it is true what he says .

The council and staff are doing all sorts of dirty tricks. They are stopping most of the meetings to keep the TARAS apart.

In doing this it will stop us talking to each other. They cancel meetings at the last minute - they have a lot of days to spare now but put two meetings on the same day.

The staff have thousands of pounds of tenants money that was voted on to use to set up new TARAS but I don’t think that is happening.

I shared on Facebook that burkas should be banned, so two of the top staff said I was racist and tried to shut our TARA down.

But I have some good friends who are staff and ‘Magic’ (the councillor from Broomhil). He doesn’t mind me calling him that and at one of the meetings I was the only one including staff to make him welcome.

Winnie Smith

by email

Vote for tree guarantee

Following up on the deluge of tree complaints, there is a perfect opportunity coming up to send a clear message.

I have no political loyalty and nor should anyone else.

In the local elections find out where your candidate stands - it is up to us all to teach Bryan and his cronies a lesson.

Vote for whoever guarantees to rethink the tree policy, whichever party.

If you cannot do that, then abstain in protest, but DO NOT return to office anyone who does not guarantee they will serve at your pleasure.

These arrogant people are OUR employees!

Gary Speck

Dobcroft Ave, Millhouses