SIR, I would like to refer to a recent letter entitled 'Cold Reception from First Bus’. I came across a similar situation during a journey from Galashiels to Peebles on Tuesday, February 17.

I boarded the doubledecker for the X62 service to Peebles. I had been advised beforehand to sit upstairs and enjoy the views of the Tweed Valley. The big surprise was that the staircase was blocked off by ribbon, so all of the passengers had to cram onto the bottom deck - not a very good journey from a tourist point of view.

However, in Peebles the driver explained that the camera for viewing the upper deck was broken and that was the reason it had been cordoned off. I’m sure passengers such as myself could be trusted to behave.

For me the bus should not have been in service if something is broken. Similarly, the vehicle with the faulty heater, as described in the previous letter, should also have been taken off the road.

In the case of the doubledecker I travelled on, when it went over a bump in the road the waste bin fell over and all the contents landed on the floor. The bus stopped in Clovenfords to allow for the driver to pick up all the rubbish and put it in the bin at the bus stop.

I think First Bus has to pull its socks up and provide a much better service.

I am, etc.

Duncan Anderson York Avenue Jarrow