Our cities need infrastructure for cycling

Readers call for building the infrastructure for cycling. Other topics: schools, Netflix, charity

Readers praise the cycling initiative, but call for building the infrastructure. Clint McLean for The National

The cycle-to-work initiative is great (Get pedalling for a healthier lifestyle, December 13). I'm sure it will be a successful event. But I hope that it doesn't stop at that. Pathways should be made available for cycling to become a possibility on roads on a daily basis.

Deepa Vaswani, Abu Dhabi

This is a great effort. However, it would be better to encourage people to ride the bicycle after installing the appropriate infrastructure. Without that, it can be too risky to cycle in the city.

Aarbib Mohammed, Abu Dhabi

Where on Abu Dhabi streets is it safe to bike to work? I tried it once and the police pulled me over, making me go on the pavement. Which would be fine if the sidewalks weren’t blocked with construction, holes and bus stops. I love the city except for its lack of facility for cyclists.

Lynda Suzanne, Abu Dhabi

It’s dangerous to drive here, let alone cycling. No thanks, I’ll stick to my car.

John Paravalos, Dubai

Doubts over Netflix deal

I refer to the story Netflix Middle East launch will be good for pay TV, says OSN (December 11). My question is this: why would OSN think this is a good thing? Surely it will affect their main revenue stream as people move over to Netflix for better content at a cheaper rate. I wonder if Netflix has to pay OSN (or their owners) fees to be allowed access to this market.

Giles Heaton, Dubai

One good thing that comes out of this is that OSN may have to actually start providing decent “premium” programming, instead of their current offering of mostly “straight to video”, low-budget, B-list movies.

John Barganier, Dubai

Help people in distress

Mohammed Baloch's plight is sad (Medical bills leave family destitute after death of patriarch, December 6). A man who gave his family a decent life is now struggling to repay his creditors who lent him money to settle hospital bills.

A majority of families that go from everything to nothing in a short span of time are burdened by rising hospital bills. It is tragic that Mr Baloch was unable to save his father’s life. The authorities should launch an investigation into the death of his father, for there are chances that he might have died due to medical negligence or error. The authorities should set up an organisation to help such people in distress who are in no position to repay such hefty amounts owed to hospitals.

Fatima Suhail, Sharjah

School findings not surprising

Regarding your news article Abu Dhabi school inspections reveal challenges of corporal punishment and absent teachers (December 14), if parents don't discipline their children and don't teach them that school is a place of learning, and not a playground, and hold them accountable for their actions when they forget that, what do you expect will happen?

When there is no clearly defined school-wide behaviour plan/matrix, what do you expect? When you have administrators who are too afraid to discipline students because of the possible backlash, then what do you expect?

When you put all these factors together, along with a few others, you have a recipe for teacher apathy, frustration and anger that in turn lead to high absenteeism, high teacher turnovers and teachers who feel compelled to take discipline into their own hands.

Suzette Hinds-Riddick, Abu Dhabi