Do you want a tram

[Home Guard]

http://edinburghnews.scotsman.com/topics.cfm?tid=607

Vote on the Edinburgh Evening News whether you think it is a god idea for the trams to be cancelled.

SNP want to spend the money throughout Scotland on transport projects. The tram is expected to cost £680 Million on one route from Leith to the Airport.

[SpursLivi]

I like trams - they worked a treat when I was in Barcelona recently.

[Andy]

I'm a little undecided, trams would benefit the city but as you say could benefit a much wider range of people if spent differently.

Incidently isn't that roughly what a tunnel to replace the 4th road bridge would cost?

[Homer]

Getting the existing public transport infrastructure working first should be the aim

[Home Guard]

Trams are a good method of transport in the right vicinity. The problem is two fold in Edinburgh:

1. Narrow Streets - When a tram stops in Shandwick Place what happens to the taffic?

2. Hills - When Edinburgh last had trams they had to be hauled up Leith Walk by a cable. (a tunnel that still exists under Leith Walk and will need to be filled in at a cost they haven't budgetted for)

[MalckyB]

I think it will be a scandal if the plans for the trams are withdrawn.

They work perfectly well in other cities in Britain and Europe and have been proven to reduce congestion and are good convenient way of getting around.

Mon the trams I say..!!:banana-th

[The Architect]

As an Edinbugger myself I'd prefer to see the old south suburban railways open again and other wee projects - expanding waverley etc....

The buses are good enough

[Homer]

I think it will be a scandal if the plans for the trams are withdrawn.

They work perfectly well in other cities in Britain and Europe and have been proven to reduce congestion and are good convenient way of getting around.

Mon the trams I say..!!:banana-th

Tell you what, you have them. Up and down Almondvale Boulevard they could go. Don't know (m)any folk in Edinburgh who think they are a good idea.

[Homer]

The buses are good enough

but could be way better

[Lanark Lion]

I'm all for the trams.

[CJE]

SNP want to spend the money throughout Scotland on transport projects.

Yeh, they could re-nationalise the bus companies, oh that's right, they were bought off by a party donor to drop that idea!

[Home Guard]

Yeh, they could re-nationalise the bus companies, oh that's right, they were bought off by a party donor to drop that idea!

Not sure what re-nationalisation would bring. Lothian Buses which is a private company owned by the local councils has the youngest fleet in the UK, cheapest fares, highest wages, cctv on a large proportion of the vehicles. AND are against any form of regulation.

Note I ignored the cheap unfounded jibe. Election's over.:snooze:

[CJE]

Not sure what re-nationalisation would bring. Lothian Buses which is a private company owned by the local councils has the youngest fleet in the UK, cheapest fares, highest wages, cctv on a large proportion of the vehicles. AND are against any form of regulation.

Note I ignored the cheap unfounded jibe. Election's over.:snooze:

Perhaps not in Edinburgh, but in West Lothian (and in particular Whitburn where there is no competiting train station) the buses are overly expensive, and too infrequent for most. The lack of competition is one of the biggest factors, as can be seen in South Queensferry / Kirkliston where First have lowered their fares to match LRT, yet everywhere else is grossly overpriced.

You can ignore the cheap the shot, but Cash for Policy is still a poor show!

[Pedro]

If the Edinburgh council tax payers are happy to pay for them then fine.

I'd rather if my tax pounds were to be used that the money was used to benefit the wider population.

Possibly to build a very high wall around the inward looking no-one else matters city of Edamberg? ;)

How about getting a campaign up for moving the Parliament to the new Livi Civic Centre? :monstereyeroll:

[marky]

Getting the existing public transport infrastructure working first should be the aim

I gotta agree.

Drop the trams project now before anymore is spent on it.

[Homer]

Possibly to build a a very high wall around the inward looking no-one else matters city of Edamberg? ;)

:nono: I have enough trouble making the bus on time as it is

[Homer]

If the Edinburgh council tax payers are happy to pay for them then fine.

Actually, thinking about it - it seems to be more non-Edinburgh residents who are in favour of these trams so perhaps it should come out of everyone elses council tax instead :)

[LLD]

There are loads of unused railway lines in Edinburgh they could be getting back into action at a much lower cost than spending an outrageous amount of money on trams.

Edinburgh seems to lurch from one pie in the sky idea to the next... Princes Street Galleries, underground parking schemes etc. The trams are just the latest in a long line.

IMHO Edinburgh has an excellent bus service anyway, certainly in comparison to the very poor First bus pish we have to put up with in West Lothian.

[The Architect]

Possibly to build a very high wall around the inward looking no-one else matters city of Edamberg? ;)

Well if it keeps the weegies out....

The SNP are apparently considering dropping their opposition to trams to get the Lib Dems on side.

[Andy]

There are loads of unused railway lines in Edinburgh they could be getting back into action at a much lower cost than spending an outrageous amount of money on trams.

Edinburgh seems to lurch from one pie in the sky idea to the next... Princes Street Galleries, underground parking schemes etc. The trams are just the latest in a long line.

IMHO Edinburgh has an excellent bus service anyway, certainly in comparison to the very poor First bus pish we have to put up with in West Lothian.

Interesting thread, trams I think are being seen as adding to the cosmopolitan feel of the Tourist city rather then the best public transport solution. My view on busses is tainted by what we don't have in West Lothian but I do recall the streams of red busses I see every visit to the capital.

Fair point on the railways, not being from the city I wasn't aware of those.

Re-regulation rather than re-nationalisation would be the way to start to tackle the bus issues out with the cities. Regulation would mean the council could set the routes and the bus companies would run them. As it stands they run exactly the routes they want to which is why (for example) all Edinburgh routes passing through my area go along Eliburn road and none through Livingston Village (first bus reckon there are more fares to be had that way, never mind that the other area end up with no service).