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Dear Stan, IN response to Lakshmi Iyer's request for suggestions to tackle the school run problem, I too found the battle to reach the British School in Hamala too much and have chosen to send my child on a school bus.

It turns up outside the gate of our house at the same time every morning (7.30am), in she gets and is dropped safely at the door of the school.

At 3.30pm the door opens to our house, and in she comes. No stress for me, or for her - she gets to talk to her friends on the way to school, rather than being stuck in a car with me complaining about everyone's bad driving and worrying about where to park at the school.

If more parents used school buses it would mean less traffic blocking the roads, and less pollution. The buses are air-conditioned and comfortable, and there is no need to wait at a bus stop or cross busy roads as they collect your child from your house.

Yes, they cost money obviously, but the time and worry saved is worth it to me.

Linked to this issue, could I ask that everyone makes an effort to give way to school buses, and lets them pull out safely and get out of junctions?

I often drive down Saar Avenue and see school buses sat for ages waiting to cross traffic or pull out of side roads, and when I can I slow down and let them through, as if it were my child sat on that bus I would want them to get to school or home on time.

Val Bamber, Bahrain.

Dear Stan,

With reference to Ms Lakshmi Iyer's letter (GulfWeekly, November 11-17) I wish to quote the old saying "You can take a donkey to the water BUT can you make him to drink?"

A J Thomas.

Dear Stan,

I am writing to you with regard to the November 11-17 edition of GulfWeekly. I would like to thank you for such a lovely picture of our family. This was really a nice surprise for us when we read the paper in the morning, it really made our day.

We didn't expect such a large coverage. A big thanks to Shilpa Chandran from all of us from the bottom of our heart.

Mukesh Lakhani,

P & A, Bahrain.