19 NOVEMBER 1965, Page 12

Traffic Noise

Sta,—Mr. Oliver Stewart (October 22) appears to hold buses responsible for all the motor-vehicle noise and exhaust fumes from which he suffered at his London office.

So far as its buses are concerned, London Trans- port would like to make it clear that: (i) The noise levels of its fleet are almost cer- tainly below those likely to be prescribed as maxi- mum by regulations now under consideration; (ii) Smoking exhausts are nearly always due to poor maintenance 'and driving diesel engines at °full stretch. London Transport inspects and maintains most carefully, and deliberately derates the engines of its buses by 10 per cent in order to minimise the risk of had smoke emission from its vehicles. F. E. WILKINS

Chief Public Relations Officer London Transport, 55 Broadway, Westminster, London, SW!