Sir – Councillor Nuala Young is right to highlight poor air quality in St Clements (City faces ‘worrying pollution’, April 22), which must be exacerbated by the many coaches passing through.

As city bus services move into an era of lower-emission engines, cross-ticketing and fewer bus movements, it is surely time for coach timetables to be reformed along similar lines, with coaches running less frequently but with higher seat occupancy.

But it would be much better for the city environment if London and airport coaches were to bypass the city centre altogether.

On your letters page in July 2008 I proposed that the X70, X90 and Tube termini should be relocated from Gloucester Green to one of the park-and-ride facilities north of the city (Pear Tree or Water Eaton).

Coaches could run from there along the A40 to Thornhill park-and-ride to collect further passengers there before heading for the M40.

Connections to and from the city centre could be provided for coach passengers by existing low-emission 300, 400 or 500 park-and-ride shuttle buses (preferably adapted to accommodate traveller luggage), the fare being rolled into coach ticket prices. Access to night-time coach services could be assured by allowing the infrequent night coaches to loop through the city, or by extending the park-and-ride timetable to connect with night coach arrivals and departures.

Some passengers living in the city would doubtless complain about the necessity to change vehicle where they don’t at present, but this minor inconvenience would be counterbalanced overall by a reduction in city centre and Headington congestion associated with coach traffic, and by improved access to coach services for passengers connecting from outside the city.

There would be numerous other gains in terms of less High Street wear-and-tear and visual intrusion.

Robin Gill, Oxford