I use ScotRail trains daily on a couple of the electric lines around Glasgow (ScotRail fined nearly £1m for service failures, Evening Times, July 31) and I reckon First has actually made a decent job of the ScotRail franchise.

It certainly has improved from when it took it on.

Fare-dodging has been cracked down on and the trains pretty much run on time.

The standards regime looks to be pretty tough and I'd reckon ScotRail has to live up to a higher standard than other operators in the UK.

I must admit a few things annoy me on the train journeys, but it's usually ignorance of other passengers rather than the state of the trains. Chic, Paisley Street hazards

The city streets are too cluttered with street furniture but the answer is not to take away things like tables and chairs (Pitfalls around every corner, Evening Times, July 31).

Most of the problems I see are street signs with posts in or near the centre of pavements, bollards everywhere and sudden changes in levels, like in Sauchiehall Street, where people are taken by surprise.

There are also far too many signs in the streets, which are a distraction anyhow.

In my view the council is the biggest sinner. The city centre is awash with council-controlled street furniture and signage. The thinking alternative, City centre Ugly headquarters

SCOTTISH Ballet's new headquarters (Evening Times, July 31) is another horrendous building to add to the collection around that area of town.

It looks like a bundle of portacabins that some kid could have thrown together with the help of a crane. Groovyclown, Glasgow Lack of pride

REGARDING your story on July 31 (Meadow can help locals to cut crime), it's sad that people don't take more care of the places surrounding them.

Even walking through the Park Circus area, where you think people would have more money and pride, there are weeds, dirt and chipped paint everywhere. Gkar, Glasgow Transport timewarp

IT'S all very nice appreciating transport from a bygone era on a new website (Transport memories a global success, Evening Times, July 31), but Glasgow needs a transport system for this century. Jim, Glasgow Stem cell hope

REGARDING your article (July 31) on Robert White, who has lost his sight, he really is a credit to himself and his family.

As for stem cell research, science is moving swiftly in this sector and specialists are now able to produce stem cells from patients' very own DNA.

This would put an end to the controversial use of embryonic stem cells and eradicate problems with patients' immune systems rejecting implanted cells.

I reckon it's only a matter of time - possibly five or six years - before they can effectively treat a condition like this and hopefully restore his sight fully. I firmly believe Robert will get his wish to see again one day. I truly hope he does. Willowthewisp, Glasgow Common problem

My dad has been a civil servant for 40 years, and says your story about a Glasgow man's pension being held back because staff said he was dead (Evening Times, July 30) happens a lot. The same thing would have happened to the lady in your story last Monday. Garry, Glasgow WRITE: Evening Times, 200 Renfield Street, Glasgow G2 3QB. Please include your name and address. E-MAIL: letters@eveningtimes.co.uk Please include postal address. TEXT: key in the word 'etletters', leave a space then send your comments to 88010. Max 160 characters. Please include your name or initials and where you're from. Texts cost 25p at all times. HOT TOPIC: Great to see gap finally being bridged

Great to see work continuing on this road (Evening Times, Bridging the gap, July 31).

It's been a long time coming and will bring an end to the untold misery caused by the sole reliance on the M8.

The tree-huggers will argue, like they did with the M77, but they'll soon be forgotten.

Yes, it will still be congested at peak times but only an idiot would try and claim it will be anything like as bad as that experienced at present.

It only takes one muppet to run out of petrol to bring the entire city to a standstill.

Now at least we have an alternative route to get around it.

Traffic heading south will no longer need to pass through the city centre.

Not often I say this, but for once the powers that be have done the right thing, just a few decades late. BH, Glasgow Not worth the work

Yes it was well worth cutting a huge chunk of everyone's park to save some people 10 minutes to join the car park on the M8.

I reckon the M74 will just be the same. Emma, Glasgow Time wasted by protests

The irony is that the protesters who stopped this road being built 20 years ago caused billions of tonnes of CO2/CO to be needlessly created by the hundreds of thousands of drivers stuck on the bridge in the endless nose to tail jams. I hope you are very proud. Geo, Glasgow Progress at last

IT'S great to see real progress on this road project taking place.

When completed it will be a major benefit to the city and beyond. Can't see why some people are so negative about it. Jkr, Lochwinnoch Easing congestion

I CAN'T wait for this work to be complete.

Anything that eases congestion can't be bad. It's just a pity it's taken so long for it to get to this stage. Len, East End Project well over due

THIS project is well overdue and great to see finally take place.

Here's hoping it all get complete on time and traffic an finally be eased on the M8. Dougie, Glasgow