How very welcome was your papers "Newsfile" item mentioning Croydon South's MP Richard Ottaway seeking improved safety for cyclists with regard to crossing Tramlink.

As someone who has had experience of crossing wet, slippery tramlines while cycling in Germany during army service there, can I support Mr Ottaway's efforts wholeheartedly.

A practical suggestion - could not Tramlink Ltd install lengths of tramtrack in the training areas that Croydon Council is running the children's and adult cycle training courses on?

This could be lengths of recycled rails from Tramlink Mark 1, that the contractors are unearthing in Croydon. This would be a good public relations exercise for Tramlink Ltd - using rails of a correct profile, which could be made greasy with rainwater and leaves on which the trainee cyclists could be taught the correct approach and angles to traverse.

The newly-formed Croydon Cycling Forum made up of experienced cyclists and council experts could monitor the results. Little or no research has been done on this subject, eg the crossing of tram tracks on narrow-tyred racing cycles.

To my knowledge, no guidelines have yet been produced and the Highway Code omitted trams years ago. Perhaps the railway's inspectorate wing of the the Health and Safety Executive will change all that!

JOHN JACKSON

Anerley Bicycle Club

Converted for the new archive on 30 June 2000.Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.