Sir, – Alice Leahy enumerates some benefits of bringing conductors back to the buses (Letters, October 9th). I believe it would also add a sense of security for many passengers, particularly late at night. Drivers rightly focus on driving and a conductor is far better able to convey a friendly sense of order in all corners of the bus.
Reintroducing conductors would also reduce traffic congestion and speed up journey times, to everyone’s benefit. As used to be the case, passengers could simply board and take a seat awaiting the conductor coming to them once the bus was underway again, rather than keeping it standing still while fumbling around for coins or trying to scan a mobile phone.
Not only can technology never replace the friendly fellow human beings, but in many cases it actually leads to slower, worse service. – Yours, etc,
CHRISTOPHER RUANE,
Lanark,
UK.