SIR - Re the letter "Let's end this unnecessary distinction" about the taxi services, by Tahir Mahmood (T&A, April 2).

There are 224 hackney carriage taxis compared to more than 2,000 private hires operating in Bradford. There are already not enough ranks in the city centre to park these hackney carriages.

Council enforcement officials are already chasing the drivers in a cat-and-mouse game for over-ranking rather than helping drivers by providing more ranks and listening to their genuine concerns for providing a better taxi service for public and improve the image of Bradford nationwide.

We should not forget that taxi drivers are the first point of contact when people arrive in the city from trains and buses. They can really help improve the image of Bradford in the eyes of visitors nationwide.

If this distinction between hackney carriages and private hire is discarded, probably there will be more taxis in Bradford than fares, fighting to park and for business.

In my opinion, instead of discarding the unnecessary distinction between the two, if we just scrap all private hires and keep only Hackney Carriages on the road, life will be much easier, better organised and less hassle for the public and council.

J K Gupta, Hollybank Road, Bradford 7.

SIR - In response to the letter from Karl Dallas (April 10) commenting on a previous letter from a reader suggesting that all religious leaders should be sent elsewhere to fight among themselves. While this reader may be making a judgement that religion is the cause of all evil, does not Mr Dallas then go on to make a judgement on all non-religious people?

There are many individuals who help others as part of their daily life in one way or another. They do not have to belong to any group or be recognised for doing so. It is something that comes naturally to a person of good character, who puts others before themselves, who respects others, who lives responsibly and who does not judge others.

Unless proven that a person has done a serious wrong, causing hurt and anguish to another, let it be said that any true religious person would know the importance of not judging others.

Everyone has the right to be who they are, to have their own beliefs, and as long as you treat others as you expect to be treated, and always have a thought for those less fortunate than yourself, remembering we all came into this world the same way, then you can consider yourself to be a good person.

Karen Briggs, Monterey Drive, Sandy Lane, Bradford

SIR - I am writing to you to ask if you could help me and some of my section out of a predicament. We have been serving in the Middle East for three months now and as you can imagine things out here aren't too great to say the least.

Things do look to be improving though and hopefully we will be back home by July.

Anyway I am a local lad (Woodside) and was just wondering if you could help me and some friends out in the morale department.

If possible we would like you to put a plea in your paper asking for women to write to us.

We are three lads: me (Signaller David Wilkinson, 20), Signaller Mike Smith (19) and Cpl Rob Jones (26). We are all working flat out at the moment and it would be great to receive letters from lasses back home, and if possible a picture too.

I'll sign off now and wait hopefully for some replies in our forthcoming mail at our address below.

Signaller Wilkinson 25104342, 1(UK) ADSR, 211 Signal Squadron, Communications Troop, OP TELIC BFPO 641.

SIR - I would like to get in touch with any former pupils of Class A 1957 at Great Horton School - Pat Feeley, Pat Laycock, Peter Burns, Keith Woodward, Kenneth Firth - or any others who would remember me with a view to pen-pal correspondence.

I have been in Australia since 1973 and thought it would be good to find old school friends.

Mrs Gwen Barnes (nickname "Wendy", maiden name Ross), 4 Forest Park Road, Worrigee, NSW, Australia (e-mail: gwenb@pnc.com.au)

SIR - My grand-daughter has just spent five weeks at BRI. I would like through your newspaper to say thank you to all the staff on Ward 2 for the care they gave her, also the tutor, and the two clowns who go to entertain the children.

Mrs M Sandiforth, Elm Road, Wrose.

Readers' views on the proposed development at West Bowling Golf Club

SIR - I welcome the Deputy Prime Minister's decision to call in for public inquiry the proposed development at the West Bowling Golf Club site, and would not wish in any way to prejudice the eventual outcome. However, distance in time from the original decision should not allow you to distort the views of city centre traders about the proposals.

One of the strongest objections to come before the Planning Panel when the matter was discussed was from representatives of developers of retail outlets in the city centre. They held very strong reservations about the proposals, which you faithfully reported at the time.

You are right to raise collective eyebrows about the number of jobs which may be created. The original claim was for 8,000 jobs, which was subsequently scaled back to 5,000. I wonder what it will be when the public inquiry actually meets?

Councillor the Reverend Paul Flowers (member, Bradford Planning Panel), Hollingwood Drive, Bradford 7

SIR - Re your Comment on the West Bowling Business Park (T&A, April 12). The creation of jobs is the developers' familiar refrain and is rarely quantified before the event and never proven after it.

The cure for unemployment is not the short-term panacea offered by "out of town" developments for which we are hardly desperate, but the provision of training to cover the many critical skill shortages. These shortages will be exacerbated by the Working Time Directive and the fact that we have an ageing population.

If we must have retail developments, let's concentrate on the city centre instead of perpetuating the Council's scattergun approach to planning .which has left us with great tracts of urban wasteland..

Paul Carlisle, Leaventhorpe Lane, Bradford 8

SIR - Re the proposed development of West Bowling Golf Club. The developer, Mr Richard Morton, says the decision to hold a public inquiry is "shocking".

No Mr Morton, it is not. It is correct and proper to hold this inquiry and hope common sense prevails.

What is truly shocking is wanting to build on a beautiful golf course, when a good part of the Euroway Estate is empty and the city centre is crying out for development.

This course should be kept for future generations to enjoy as it has been enjoyed for the last 105 years.

Mrs C A Binsley, Harrogate Road, Bradford 2.