Grinch Rattenbury will allow Segways on our footpaths, to discourage children and adults from walking to their local schools, shops, bus stops and light rail stations.

Segways travel at twice the speed of mobility scooters. They are twice as heavy and three times as powerful as electric bicycles, and need twice as far to stop. Their ability to suddenly lurch off course knocked world champion sprinter Usain Bolt off his feet, and cost the life of Segway manufacturer Jim Heselden.

Grinch Fitzharris will condemn Canberra's bus commuters, and all Gungahlin's commuters, to two more years of unnecessary travel delays. Converting part of the Flemington Road bus lane to a transit lane would increase traffic flow through the intersection of Flemington Road and Northbourne Avenue. That would cut several minutes from peak travel times for private vehicles. Converting strategic sections of the left lane of Northbourne Avenue to T3 lanes would cut several minutes from bus travel times, without affecting other traffic.

The Transport Canberra and City Services Directorate has acknowledged "that during the period of [light rail] construction there will be delays in transit between Gungahlin and Civic," and confirmed that Grinch Fitzharris has again refused to consider using inexpensive transit lanes to reduce traffic delays.

Leon Arundell, Downer

Recent reports and correspondence in your pages about the behaviour of cyclists on so-called shared paths have now acquired an additional dimension in the form of recent reports on those peculiar "Segways": soon, it seems, to add to an already uneasy user mix.

I noted the term "startled rabbit", used with reference to walkers' reactions to warning bells on cycles, and detected therein an undertone of contempt for pedestrians occupying space on the paths.

I freely admit this impression flows from a long-held suspicion that some (I repeat: "some") cyclists harbour a profound sense of moral superiority over any other persons using any other form of locomotion, including the kind we are all born with.

How our cycling betters will react to the new form of bi-wheeled transport remains to be seen, but I think I can guess. And for those unfortunate peds at the base of the totem pole? Just another source of surprise from behind.

Bunny beware.

G. S. McKergow, Forbes Creek

H. Zandbergen (Letters, December 13) regurgitated that old anticyclist fixation of registration for cyclists, in this case in relation to cycle (or, more correctly, shared) paths.

It seems he/she doesn't like governments spending money on people who aren't him/her.

Registration charges by motorists were originally designed to go towards repairing the wear and tear cars and trucks cause to roads. Bicycles do no damage to roads, nor to shared paths. Any deterioration of shared paths is as a result of other, external factors.

His/her flaccid reasoning collapses if you take it to its logical conclusion. Why shouldn't pedestrians be registered too?

After all, it is apparently irrelevant that they might own a car too.

Why should I pay taxes for the roads that go past H. Zandbergen's house? That's where such woolly, prejudicial thinking takes you.

David Jenkins, Casey

Reading about cyclists adding to welfare (Letters, December 20) reminds me how little those of us hard of hearing and physically handicapped dare venture onto those paths we share with cyclists.

I for one don't always hear the bells ringing and I can be very unnerved by those bikes swishing by at high speed, where the riders seem to think I'm just being discourteous for not moving aside.

Safer not to venture onto those paths: but why should I be prevented from enjoying them too? That said, many cyclists are considerate.

Jens von Brasch, Bruce

Given that speeding plays a major role in too many accidents on the Kings Highway, it is welcome news ACT and NSW Police will increase patrols this Christmas to target reckless driving.

This police operation to catch those who speed and endanger the lives of others will be much more effective if drivers do not flash their lights at oncoming cars to warn of a police presence ahead.

Let's all work together to reduce the road toll.

Catching those who drive at excessive speeds is a major step towards saving lives.

J. Ward, Rosedale, NSW

It's a difficult time for those whose lives are shaped by the one whose birthday is imminent; whose name we daren't mention lest it cause offence.

In a world where too many use God as an excuse for power and domination, Christmas seems all the more relevant. What an event: God — tiny, unassuming, lying at our feet in a grubby manger; exposed and frail and vulnerable just like the rest of us.

It is a powerful reminder that beauty, the highest truth and the greatest good, has the final say, even in the face of terror and cynicism and unbelief.

Merry Christmas. Peace.

Peter Day, Queanbeyan

If the sale of Nurofen specific pain range products yielded revenue of around $45million to Reckitt-Benckiser, and "the products were sold at double the price of standard Nurofen" ("Headache that grew to $6m", December 17, p20) then Reckitt-Benckiser "stole" about $22.5million from consumers. Noting that "the theoretical maximum penalty for the contraventions ... was many, many millions of dollars", in lieu of the Federal Court's fine $6 million for misleading consumers, I think a more appropriate fine would be around $22.5million.

A. Rhodes, Cook

A true Christian would have expressed compassion for the terrible injuries of a tragically disturbed man. A true conservative would have respected the professional judgment of the police. Being neither, Lyle Shelton did neither.

Instead we were subjected to a display of petulant paranoia and a piece of hypocrisy that, even in a year bloated with hypocrisy, was startling: the accusation that other people's criticisms of his organisation encouraged attack.

Felix MacNeill, Dickson

Police in the ACT have responded prematurely by saying they have established there was no political, religious or ideological motive behind the explosion outside the Australian Christian Lobby building.

The untested remarks of a critically injured man hardly constitute the final word.

Only a jury can establish the motive in a criminal case — which may constitute one of the most serious attacks on freedom of faith and free speech we've seen for a long time.

David D'Lima, Sturt, SA

When all you've got is a hammer everything looks like a nail, so it's no surprise that the leader of a hate group, the ACL, should see everything through hate-coloured glasses.

Fred Pilcher, Kaleen

The explosion near the ACL building brought out the bigotry of ACL leader Lyle Shelton for all to see, as he sought to lay the blame on organisations and people to whom he is vehemently opposed.

Now that he has been found out to have been premature in his aspersions, obviously for his own political gain, we await his apology to all those he wrongly accused.

L. Christie, Canberra

Anyone who studies the number of trades using the Australian Stock Exchange (ASX) must be wondering why the federal government is ignoring potential revenue.

In the past 12 months, there have been 356,146,880 ASX trades. Quite a few of them were high-frequency trades (HFT) with as little as one share being traded. Retail investors are forced to trade with a minimum of $500 whereas there does not appear to be any minimum for systems.

Perhaps all trades need to be set to a minimum of $500 and each trade could be taxed at $10 (plus the current GST for brokerage). Even at a $500 trade, that equates to a 2per cent additional cost and it becomes insignificant with million dollar trades.

Given the number of discount brokers charging from as little as $10 per trade, the retail investor could change brokers if that $10 per trade was going to cause too much financial difficulty.

The upside would be the federal government would get over $3.5 billion additional revenue per annum from the ASX trades alone, based on current statistics.

It is about time the government recognised stock market trading is just as addictive as poker machines and with potentially disastrous results.

Stephen Petersen, Dunlop

Professors Quentin Grafton and Martyn Pearce (December 22, p 19) seem to think 2016 revolved around Donald Trump's US election win.

Wars and political instability are more to the point. Indonesia just to the north of Australia is a fragile democracy as the recent demonstrations against the Christian mayor of Jakarta show.

China languishes under a virtual dictator.

In Afghanistan our soldiers are fighting in the longest war Australia has been in, more than 15 years.

Iraq is in a state of civil war not to mention Syria.

The state of Palestine (which over 120 nations recognise) is under military occupation on the West Bank where it is increasingly being deprived of its land while its infrastructure has been destroyed in the Gaza Strip to the tune of $4 billion.

Turkey is under a dictatorship, Russia is ruled by an autocrat and France and Germany face terrorism.

Algeria is in the midst of a civil war, Mexico is in the grip of drug gangs.

Venezuela faces a complete collapse as a nation, Brazil is unstable and Argentina has an economic crisis.

In mid and southern Africa, in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, militias still rule in the east after a war which claimed more than 6million lives.

What should be done? The banning of guns and all weapons of mass destruction should be done.

Bows and arrows were quite enough.

Paul Knobel, Canberra

After the assassination of the Russian ambassador to Turkey by a Turkish policeman, who claimed that the killing was revenge for Russian bombing in the Syrian city of Aleppo and the killing of men, women and children, Russian President Vladimir Putin and Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said this would only stiffen Russia's resolve to fight terrorism.

If Mr Putin is serious about fighting terrorism, he should immediately pull out all Russian soldiers from Eastern Ukraine and this would include those there on "holidays", remove all heavy artillery equipment including tanks, supplied by the Russians to the Russian separatist terrorists in Eastern Ukraine and deny them the military, financial and manpower support that Russia has been providing despite denials.

Also, Russia should comply with the terms of the Minsk Agreement.

Mr Putin should also "'fess up" to Russian involvement in the shooting down of Malaysian Airlines Flight MH17 which resulted in the deaths of 198 passengers.

One would be somewhat surprised if Mr Putin will follow through with his offer to fight terrorism because the Soviet era spin doctor machine is already in action by claiming that the killing of the Russian ambassador in Turkey was "orchestrated by NATO".

Coke Tomyn, Camberwell, Vic

Had Mark Raymond (Letters, December 22) been more observant when approaching the roundabout from the north-west, he would have noted that the extended left-turn lane into Gundaroo Drive is yet to be completed. When fixed, I expect a sign, similar to that on Gundaroo Drive, will be erected on the approach to the roundabout so that drivers can position themselves before reaching the lights.

Ken McPhan, Spence

VEGE TEDDY SURPRISE

John Rogers was asking what to feed his grandson's vegan teddy bear. (Letters, December 20). You do not need a "vegan expert". There are oodles of healthy vegan recipes on the net. I'm sure Teddy will thrive, and so, of course, would your new grandson!

Diane Cornelius, Seacliff Park, SA

TERROR SHADOW ON PEACE

Full credit to the AFP for foiling a planned terrorist attack on Christmas Day. These so called Muslims are defaming the peaceful teachings of Islam and overshadowing the peace making efforts of the Australian Islamic Community.

Khizar Rana, Walkerville, SA

GREEN DEAL LOSES SHINE

The main feature of the government's deal with the Greens to get its Australian Building and Construction Commission bill through Parliament was $100 million of extra funding for landcare. Days later the government announced the Green Army would be abolished, cutting $350million from the landcare budget. I haven't heard any complaints from the Greens.

Jenny Andrews, Aranda

FAIR USE IS UNFAIR

Thanks to Jenna Price ("The innovation this government doesn't want", December 21, p15) I understand the proposed copyright changes. The reason Google, Facebook et al could not have started here is that until now they wouldn't be able to steal content (read "fair use").

Bob Gardiner, Isabella Plains

GAMBLING SHAME

Every man, woman, and child within the ACT loses $420 a year at ACT licensed clubs. Shame!

John Kent, Duffy

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