My partner has spent convictions from more than 15 years ago, including a drug-related one, and this has a huge impact on his obtaining his licence.

He had to provide several character references, explain the exact circumstances of each conviction and provide assurance to his prospective employer that he was considered to be an appropriate person to work for the company.

It is not the case that convictions are ignored or not considered.

If people were able to access information about taxi drivers, where would it end?

Would the same happen to bus drivers, train drivers, pilots or other people responsible for transporting people from A to B?

While I am all for freedom to choose and freedom of information, in this case the public should have trust in the system in place. It is a system that I know to be very thorough.

My partner was positively grilled by a panel of council officials and police staff before he was granted a licence and his convictions are very minor and from long ago.

Licences aren’t just handed out to anyone who wants one — they are earned by suitable people.

I am quite saddened, really, that Mr Stephen seems to want to start some sort of witch-hunt against men and woman who have made mistakes, been punished for them and are now trying to earn an honest living.

In fact, I’m confident that most of the 76 drivers with convictions would willingly and publicly hold their hands up to their past crimes, but why should they have to?

It’s not practical to have information available on every single person providing a public service, but it is reasonable to put faith in the systems and procedures in place to protect the public from unsuitable people. — Angry.

WHERE DOES IT STOP?

I REPLY to Mr Stephen’s comments on offences committed by taxi drivers. Where does it stop?

Fair enough, previous drugs offences committed by taxi drivers should be a definite refusal, but as for potential passengers knowing of any previous convictions before deciding whether to use the taxi or not, I hardly think they would even bother.

If the licence is granted by the council, then that should be satisfactory for the passengers, without dragging up the past and wanting to know who he is, what they have done and what punishment was handed out.

Why don’t we scrap the business advertising on the side of our vehicles and have every taxi drivers that have previous offences advertised instead?

As for the speeding and skipping red lights, you see that every Saturday night rushing to get their next fares. — Private Hire.

REHABILITATION OF OFFENDERS ACT

GRAEME STEPHEN, Chairman of the Dundee Taxi Association, wants taxi drivers with criminal convictions to be named.

Has he not heard of the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974?

How are we going to police it?

How about sticking your office notice on every passenger window?

What I would like to know is how Mr Stephen got elected for the position of Dundee Taxi Association chairperson?

I have never been approached in person or received any correspondence from the Dundee Taxi Association in the last three years. — Happyhighlander.

Did someone not love this dog at one point in its life, which ended tragically?

It was left alone and scared, freezing and hungry, when one call could have prevented all of this.

How could the person or persons who did this not call someone to come and get the dog?

I am part of Easy Walkers, a group that tries to protect animals and raise awareness of cruelty.

Let’s find whoever is responsible and get justice for this poor dog and many more that are suffering. — Daryl B.

Who were the eight victims and what was the wind speed recorded that night? — Curious, Dundee.

[It was on the night of December 8, 1959, that Broughty Ferry suffered its lifeboat tragedy when the eight-man crew of the Mona, launched in atrocious weather conditions to go to the aid of the North Carr lightship, were lost.

We do not have an exact wind speed, but the lifeboat capsized in hurricane-force winds and mountainous seas, claiming the lives of Ronald Grant, George Smith, Alexander Gall, John Grieve, George Watson, James Ferrier, John J. Grieve and David Anderson.]

This practice is not only bad mannered, but it is putting people’s safety at risk and, as a driver and road cyclist, I am concerned.

Driving a car is simple — it is merely a mechanical function, which is repeated over and over again.

Observation and general awareness, however, is complex and ever-changing and that is why we should use our indicators as frequently as possible — they are to show your intentions to other road users and pedestrians.

I have seen drivers of all ages failing to use their indicators. — Allan Small.

Dundee’s most successful group The View has voiced concerns about the place, saying the owner was very good with them and was supportive when they were starting out.

Maybe the band could help out? — Doghouse Fan, Dundee.

If you know of anyone else who would be interested, please extend an invitation to them.

You can visit your old classrooms, look at the displays in the hall, record your own memories of Fintry Primary in our very own diary room or on memory sheets.

You can also join old friends for a cup of tea or coffee. Pupils will act as guides.

Please come along and help us to make another happy memory at Fintry Primary. — Brogan P6, Yasmin P5/6 and Robbie P7.

However, the winter of 2000-2001 was also chilly in Dundee.

The debate about climate change rages on, however, mild winters have outnumbered the cold winters in the past 20 years. — Weather Watcher, Dundee.