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The best thing about Boris Johnson becoming mayor is that David Cameron will not become prime minister after he has demonstrated what a disaster the Tories really are! Hope Dave's thought about that?

I really enjoyed the way Paxman stuffed him on Tuesday's Newsnight when he could not answer the basic cost of his bus from the middle of the last century, let alone the additional cost of double-maning and how the night bus service would be provided given that buses from the day network (some of hich are bendy ). But then he has no knowledge of the subject!

Buses today are no longer manufactured by companies based in Acton with long historical links with London Transport as was the case in the 1950's. To-days buses come from as far away as Poland as the industry is international and therefore designs are developed for world markets.

The other main difference is that 50 years ago most passengers paid in cash for fares based on distance travelled. Today over 90% have paid in advance via Oyster, Travelcards or Ticket machines and therefore the role of Bus Conductor like that of engine stoker on a train no longer required.

As for bendy-buses they were introduced as the best way to move the volume of passengers along certain corridors, most of which were originally served by trams and then trolley-buses both of which carried more passengers and at greater speed than their motor bus contemperies.

Anyhow, why cant he just put conductors on the existing buses?

- Melvyn Windebank, Canvey Island, Essex

"Considering Londoners are mostly foreigners these days"

Not true. London has the highest proportion of minority ethnic communities but they are not the majority. Just a whisker over 50% of the city's people describe themselves as white British.

A further 14% are either white Irish or white other, which includes Europeans, Americans, Australians and New Zealanders to name but a few.

There are now more ethnically African residents (8%) in London than black Caribbean (7%). The largest Asian community is Bangladeshis (5%), principally in east London.

- Dr Susan Porter, London

I wrote this in response to an email from a friend, who thinks Boris is funny but harmless. I thought I'd repost here, since I've gone to the trouble of typing it.

Funny is fine if you’re a clown, a comedian, or a TV presenter, but he’s standing for office, for the largest personal mandate in Western Europe, and control of a budget of hundreds of millions. The man can’t even add up. Anyone with even a rudimentary grasp of economics can see that the development of an entirely new Routemaster bus will cost a fortune, and the production of a comparatively tiny number of buses that will be required no where else in the world means they’ll have a unit cost of close to a million quid for a single bus. A nice bit of nostalgia, but hardly good value for the London taxpayer.

He has been sacked from every job the Tory party ever gave him, and can’t even run a magazine properly, let alone a city.

Incompetence is one thing, but the man doesn’t even care about London. Throughout his entire parliamentary career he has mentioned London only once, during a debate on foot and mouth. He didn’t even bother to show up for the Crossrail bill, one of the most important piece of legislation to affect London in a decade.

Such is his ability to offend that his own party have a policy of not allowing him to do hustings, lest he open his fatuous maw and offend another community.
Hardly an ideal platform for one hoping to represent a multicultural city.

- Dr Susan Porter, London

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