I agree wholeheartedly with the comments by Matthew Rae and Iain A D Mann (Letters, January 5 and 6). However, I must comment on Tom Gill's letter (January 6) in which he berates cyclists for not contributing to the upkeep of the city's roads.

Taken to its logical conclusion, he will be asking pedestrians to contribute to the maintenance of roads and footpaths, too.

Of course, he misses the point that most cyclists are also car owners and very probably council tax-payers. By choosing not to use their cars, they are helping to reduce the wear on the roads, while Mr Gill presumably doesn't care too much about the damage caused by HGVs and cars.

As a user of both cycle and car, I find the state of repair of Glasgow's roads deplorable. My wife suffers severe back pain, and each time we hit a pothole it causes a great increase in pain; not to mention the additional wear and tear on the vehicle.

Would the city fathers be happy to receive claims for compensation from all users for injuries and damage caused? I doubt it, though I would encourage readers to start claiming. Maybe then we will see some action.

We have five years before we host the Commonwealth Games in 2014; let's hope the council can implement a comprehensive repair programme in time for the opening ceremony and all the extra visitors that we can expect to our city.

Roger Gann, 29 Kingslynn Drive, King's Park, Glasgow.

Tom Gill complains that cyclists do not pay road tax. Like many cyclists, I own a car but leave it at home and cycle to and from work. For the average taxpayer this means less congestion and damage to our roads. Moreover, it also helps my health, so I am less likely to use the NHS. Then there is the unquantifiable cost to the environment caused by car fumes.

Arguably, cyclists save the taxpayer money. Perhaps we should get a rebate?

Andy Moffat, Bradda Avenue, Rutherglen.

Tom Gill suggests it would be a wheeze if "the ordinary motorist could ride around our cities without paying any road tax".

I'm happy to inform him that they already enjoy that benefit. Roads are not paid for with the revenue from vehicle excise duty (VED) but from general taxation and council tax.

Originally, motorists paid for a road fund licence, the income from which was ring-fenced to pay for road building and maintenance.

However, in 1936 the then Chancellor of the Exchequer abolished it, worried that the fund would lead to drivers feeling that they owned the road. How right he was. Small or local roads are either paid for from council tax; or, in the case of larger regional routes, from general taxation.

Cyclists (along with pedestrians therefore already do pay their dues in respect of road building and repairs.

I hope that having learned that cyclists do, indeed, pay their way, Mr Gill will now join with the cyclists in their efforts to press the councils for better roads, from which we'll all benefit in the long run.

Calum MacPhee, Busby, East Renfrewshire.

Further to Matthew Rae's letter ("Glasgow roads could be deadly for cyclists") can I say that he should try Renfrewshire's roads? They are absolutely diabolical. Some of our potholes would do justice to an elephant trap and I'm sure there might even be cyclists at the bottom of some.

We experience higher levels of rainfall in these parts, which causes even more problems as the holes just merge into the road and it is only when you hit a submerged pot hole that you realise all is not what it seems. Damage to wheels and tyres is not cheap to rectify, yet we, the unsuspecting road-users, have to deal with this almost routinely, with very little sympathy from the local authorities.

When are they going to get a grip and make proper repairs to provide safe and secure roads so that the whole community - pedestrians, cyclists, motorcyclists and motorists - can safely travel from place to place?

John A Douglas, Lochwinnoch, Renfrewshire.

If Tom Gill is still paying road tax, he should ask the Treasury for a refund. The road fund licence was abolished in 1936, to be replaced by vehicle excise duty - which is paid to central government as general taxation and not hypothecated for transport infrastructure.

Roads are maintained (or not) by local councils - funded by council tax paid by motorists, cyclists and pedestrians alike.

Dr Geraint Bevan, 3e Grovepark Gardens, Glasgow.

Tom Gill might do well to ask why roads have potholes.

Road damage approximately increases with the fourth power of vehicle weight. Putting it another way, doubling the weight causes 16 times the damage. Thus, cyclists do virtually no damage to the roads, while lorries do by far the most.

The reality is that cyclists pay their taxes, thereby funding our roads, and do virtually no damage.

That sounds a bit unfair on cyclists if you ask me.

Bob Downie, 66 Mansewood Road, Glasgow.