I agree wholeheartedly with Mike Weatherley that the parking and transport system in Brighton and Hove leaves a lot to be desired (The Argus, August 27).

Motorists - already faced with expensive city centre parking - have been demonised by short-sighted council officials in their drive to achieve some sort of car-free utopia. This demonstrates just how out of touch these officials have become.

To suggest a bus or train or even a bicycle will ever be a credible alternative to a car is beyond ignorant.

Already a five-minute car journey through the city can take me as long as 20 minutes due to congestion, excessive traffic lights and other such controls imposed by nannying career-bureaucrats.

This journey has taken me 30 frustrating minutes travelling in a hot, dirty bus with no air-conditioning and no entertainment for sour-faced passengers, who sit docile as the bus creeps to its final destination stop by stop by stop by stop.

This experience leaves a lot to be desired even before the wait for a bus to arrive then struggling to accommodate and carry my shopping once the bus drops me off nowhere near where I'm actually going.

I am young, fit and able bodied and can't imagine how the disabled or families with children are expected to cope without a car bearing in mind this supposedly five-minute car journey would cost the average family nearly £10 when travelling by bus in addition to the inconveniences.

I am not opposed to buses but I am offended by the way motorists are penalised for daring to own a car.

I have received six parking tickets so far this year within minutes of my home and my car has been towed and damaged - at great expense to myself - on more than one occasion.

I have often received parking tickets minutes after the restricted parking zone begins at the arbitrary 8am every morning from traffic wardens eagerly waiting to place penalties on cars that belong to local residents.

Mr Weatherley is correct. Alternative forms of transport are essential and Brighton already has some excellent transport facilities but better planning and facilities must solve the problems of congestion and parking - not penalising the motorist.

-Mike Macfarlane, Brighton