My journey the other morning on the number one bus was very slow.

The bus lanes are there and the cars and vans are not a problem but half the time the bus is stationary as the driver collects fares.

As buses get busier, so this problem will worsen.

Two solutions suggest themselves - ticket machines at bus stops and fare-collecting conductors on the busiest routes. Both make environmental sense since a bus that completes its journey in half the time causes half as much pollution.

Conductors add to the salary bill but on the busiest routes increasing passenger numbers should easily pay for them. I wonder if either innovation is on the agenda at bus HQ?

-Trevor Pateman, Brighton