I was delighted to read Daniel Boffey’s article on hitchhiking (Hitchhiking revival given the thumbs up to cut emissions, 28 September). I do hope this may catch on in the UK. I have been thinking for some time that we need a campaign to bring back hitchhiking. Many years ago (before the death of Castro) I had a holiday in Cuba. There was a severe fuel shortage, due to the US blockade. There, we were told, it was an offence not to pick up hitchhikers. Travellers could buy a token which they gave to the driver who redeemed it to help to pay for the petrol. Could such a system, or the Brussels one, catch on here? We could make a start if we all began hitchhiking, and revealed why. Perhaps we could carry a sign with our desired destination and “cutting emissions” clearly on it?

Mary Brown

Stroud, Gloucestershire

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