SIR - Further to Mr Hargreaves's comments on bus fares, (T&A, January 10) buses must earn more than £300 per day to cover costs and investment.

Fuel and insurance costs are rising much faster than inflation. Unfortunately, congestion slows the buses and makes them less reliable, increases costs and reduces income.

When buses were council-owned, they could be run at a loss but council tax payers disliked footing the bill.

Most services are run commercially as a business but Metro uses public money to buy-in extra services where necessary.

Bus companies are trying to make services more attractive as more passengers can pay for at least part of the inflation. However, uncongested routes are needed to get costs down and help win more passengers.

We need to defeat congestion as most of our competitor cities are already bringing congestion down with good bus policies.

In addition, analysts are pricing oil at 200 dollars a barrel by the year end and 300 dollars within the decade. We need to use alternatives to the car or we will be exporting too much of our wealth to Russia and the Middle East to buy oil.

Ray Wilkes, Secretary, West Yorkshire Campaign for Better Transport, Tower Road, Shipley