STUART Miller (Letters, March 8) berates the damage done to our roads by the utility companies.

The number of services under our roads is staggering and includes water, sewerage, gas, electricity, telecoms, and cable TV. At one time most of these services were provided by publicly owned companies. Now (apart from water and sewerage) they are privately owned and it is high time that these companies were required to pay an annual fee to the local roads authority for the privilege of burying their apparatus under public roads and footways. Indeed, they should also pay for the time they occupy the road when repairing or installing new apparatus.

The income that resulted to the roads authority would facilitate better maintenance of our roads and footways and allow the local authorities to employ inspectors to ensure that the utility companies carried out their works expeditiously and to a more acceptable standard.

Ian Lawson,

22 Buchanan Street,

Milngavie.