SIR — Most Saturdays my son walks the mile to the bus stop with his fiver for the day - a pound to Minehead, a few quid to spend, and a pound to get back.

Imagine his surprise when he was charged £3.10 to get to town and told it was because the funding had been dropped due local government cut backs. His friends from Porlock are now paying nearly £8!

This seems to me to be a false economy. We are constantly told to use cars less, whereas we now use ours more on a Saturday.

We are encouraged to use public transport more but now local people won't be able to afford it.

Small businesses are supposedly to be encouraged by the government but the likes of WebberBus are going to lose valuable trade and bus routes.

So yet again West Somerset gets a resounding kick in the groin of public services, although the taxi drivers may do well from it all now that it is cheaper for the teenagers to club together for a cab!

Tim Bushell,

Tivington Knowle.