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Edinburgh Trams Farce Continues


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I use the tram fairly regularly. I never use buses.

 

Time to complete the network. And I include the ERI in that.

?1billion quid to go 9 miles from the Airport to York Place.

 

How much more is it going to cost to go all the way to Little France?

 

:cornette:

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Populated parts of Edinburgh? Then surely going down Leith Walk is ideal - not only is it the most densely populated area of Edinburgh, it's actually the most densely populated part of Scotland.

No-one is forcing you to take a tram, if a bus is more convenient for you then use it - haven't there been timetable and equipment improvements lately (in spite of dire predictions)? But the tram is convenient for me and 5,000,000 others.

 

The doctors and nurses and teachers arguments can be done for many things. How many doctors and nurses could we get if we didn't build the new Forth Bridge, or electrify the railway to Glasgow - indeed didn't subsidise the trains by ?100s of millions a year. How many more primary teachers could we have if we introduced loans for tertiary education. Maybe we should shut down vanity libraries, theatres, museums and galleries. Where do you draw the line?

 

I work off Commercial Street and the 22 bus is quite sufficient for the route.

 

How do you plan on altering the road layout from Newhaven to York Place without causing utter chaos on the roads?  If Leith Walk is one of the most densely populated areas then why would a tram that stops at less stops than a bus be an improvement to the people living and working there?

 

I call bullshit on the council's ?145m estimate for the work.  If it isn't a minimum of 3 times that I'll be shocked - these clowns have already proven they are unfit to manage projects of this size.

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The Real Maroonblood

I work off Commercial Street and the 22 bus is quite sufficient for the route.

 

How do you plan on altering the road layout from Newhaven to York Place without causing utter chaos on the roads?  If Leith Walk is one of the most densely populated areas then why would a tram that stops at less stops than a bus be an improvement to the people living and working there?

 

I call bullshit on the council's ?145m estimate for the work.  If it isn't a minimum of 3 times that I'll be shocked - these clowns have already proven they are unfit to manage projects of this size.

Spot on.
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Will the guesstimate for the extension ?162m include the already narrowing of the road and widening of the pavements on leith walk?

 

And if they were already contemplating this part of the extension why did they go ahead with the above work ?

 

The tram was a great idea but the management was a disgrace and it certainly shouldn't be left to the clowns up at the CEC to run the next part

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Maybe these developments could be directed to the Borders or Fife utilising the vanity Borders Railway or vanity Queensferry Crossing?

 

Great idea, I'd be happy for you all to pay an extra 50p on your bus tickets so we can get trams coming out here!

 

EDIT - looks like I'm not the first to think of that, here's some plans for the old Forth Road Bridge:

 

j10724c-g13.gif

Edited by Maroonaldinho
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A couple of pounds a year on Council Tax would give us a fantastic transport system for a fantastic capital city, just a couple of pence on income tax could eliminate the need for foodbanks. Why are people so reluctant to pay just a little more for the society we all want.

 

"we pay enough already" "political suicide for any party that advocates this".

You only get what you're prepared to pay for.

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Seems like most of the tram fan boys don't live in Edinburgh.  It benefits a tiny amount of people who live in the heart of Edinburgh and they are the people who are most affected by the council budget cuts etc.  I'm not really up for wasting money for what it essentially an expensive park and ride and alternative to the perfectly adequate airport bus.

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A couple of pounds a year on Council Tax would give us a fantastic transport system for a fantastic capital city, just a couple of pence on income tax could eliminate the need for foodbanks. Why are people so reluctant to pay just a little more for the society we all want.

 

"we pay enough already" "political suicide for any party that advocates this".

You only get what you're prepared to pay for.

It would take a near doubling of Council Tax to pay for just the spur to Newhaven. That is the scale of this folly.

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Mr Brightside

It would take a near doubling of Council Tax to pay for just the spur to Newhaven. That is the scale of this folly.

Don't have the numbers to hand but surely the doubling would account for paying the extension off in one year? It would only be a small rise over a 10-15 year period.

 

I would be happy to pay more council tax for an improved transport system. The road network is goosed for anyone commuting from one end of the city to the other.

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jack D and coke

Let's finish paying back the debt for the first line before planning anything else, eh?

 

The city is on its knees thanks to the repayments on this shite.

I don't know how you travel around the town but anything that eases congestion gets my vote. Edinburgh is becoming a right pain in the hoop. The trams, imo, should be expanded all over the city. If it eventually removes a few buses and cars then it's a win win.
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Optimus Prime

It would take a near doubling of Council Tax to pay for just the spur to Newhaven. That is the scale of this folly.

 

That's just complete nonsense and i dare say you know that Coco.

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The Council need to increase CT by 3%, for the next five years, to cover current spending, maintain their current debt payments (not including the trams) and to keep the cuts to the levels they have projected so far. If that isnt increased, then the cuts will need to be deeper than expected.

Edited by Chester?
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I don't know how you travel around the town but anything that eases congestion gets my vote. Edinburgh is becoming a right pain in the hoop. The trams, imo, should be expanded all over the city. If it eventually removes a few buses and cars then it's a win win.

 

I thuink everyone agrees Edinburgh's transport needs sorting - how about dealing with the numerous 'mini-roadworks' that seem to pop up all over the place for a start - but it comes down to cost.

 

I don;t know how we can justify this kind of spend at this time.

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Mr Brightside

I don't know how you travel around the town but anything that eases congestion gets my vote. Edinburgh is becoming a right pain in the hoop. The trams, imo, should be expanded all over the city. If it eventually removes a few buses and cars then it's a win win.

Putting cost to one side I am in full agreement with your post. Traveling from the east of Edinburgh to Edinburgh park every day is grim especially in the evenings. A tram system running along London road to connect to Musselburgh train station or a park and ride at Musselburgh / portobello would be a good thing and probably heavily used.

 

I appreciate that this is pie in the sky but an integrated system is needed. Buses just aren't as good as a tram/ underground system. I have used trams and undergrounds in many UK and foreign cities but don't think I have ever used buses outside of Edinburgh.

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That's just complete nonsense and i dare say you know that Coco.

Spur to Newhaven at least 162m (plus cost overruns). This can be compared to total annual council tax take in Edinburgh of 200m.

 

A couple of pounds on Council Tax in perpetuity would not fund much of a tram extension.

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jack D and coke

Putting cost to one side I am in full agreement with your post. Traveling from the east of Edinburgh to Edinburgh park every day is grim especially in the evenings. A tram system running along London road to connect to Musselburgh train station or a park and ride at Musselburgh / portobello would be a good thing and probably heavily used.

 

I appreciate that this is pie in the sky but an integrated system is needed. Buses just aren't as good as a tram/ underground system. I have used trams and undergrounds in many UK and foreign cities but don't think I have ever used buses outside of Edinburgh.

Yeah I agree bring it right out to the outskirts of the city.

Edinburgh is a rapidly expanding place and next to nothing is being done to the infrastructure to aid travel. They're building thousands of houses all over the south of the city and east lothian too is seeing huge estates popping up yet the travel situation only gets worse.

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Driving around Edinburgh is difficult because of the many anti-car measures put in place by the vanity tram advocates on the CeC since the days of the infamous David Begg. So called rat-runs blocked off, one way measures etc all designed to concentrate traffic so that it crawls along. On top of that as others have said you have the constant interruption to traffic flow caused by lots of roadworks all year round. The vanity tram causes problems while sharing the road between Haymarket and York Place because it gets preference at traffic lights causing a build-up of traffic on roads around that stretch of the road network.

 

The cowards on the CeC who support this are too scared to consult the public. Shame on them.

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Driving around Edinburgh is difficult because of the many anti-car measures put in place by the vanity tram advocates on the CeC since the days of the infamous David Begg. So called rat-runs blocked off, one way measures etc all designed to concentrate traffic so that it crawls along. On top of that as others have said you have the constant interruption to traffic flow caused by lots of roadworks all year round. The vanity tram causes problems while sharing the road between Haymarket and York Place because it gets preference at traffic lights causing a build-up of traffic on roads around that stretch of the road network.

 

The cowards on the CeC who support this are too scared to consult the public. Shame on them.

The folk getting the tram who live on the outskirts of Edinburgh don't have to bother with this, so they're fine.

They could do with sorting out some of the traffic light sequencing as well. Streets like ardmillan terrace and the bottom of dalry, you can sit there through a couple of sets of green lights before getting through.

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On one hand the council are telling us the cost of this extension will be ?140/?162 million depending on which report you read and on the other they have adverts on tram & bus stops , street lights and road sign posts asking us to give our opinions on how the CEC can save ?126 million from next years budget .

It's not the tram itself that's the problem it's the ****ing idiots in charge of it and these idiots shouldn't be allowed anywhere near the next part of the project .

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On one hand the council are telling us the cost of this extension will be ?140/?162 million depending on which report you read and on the other they have adverts on tram & bus stops , street lights and road sign posts asking us to give our opinions on how the CEC can save ?126 million from next years budget .

It's not the tram itself that's the problem it's the ******* idiots in charge of it and these idiots shouldn't be allowed anywhere near the next part of the project .

To be fair the citizens of Edinburgh elected them to make these decisions.

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To be fair the citizens of Edinburgh elected them to make these decisions.

I appreciate that Dave although I take the moral high ground as the candidate I voted for didn't get in, ( so it's not my fault lol) what did piss me off was ,we as the electorate , had the opportunity at the last council elections to get a big change in the council in terms of the people serving but it wasn't taken unfortunately , maybe next time tho ,as surely no-one can be overly happy with the way the city is being managed in general by this set of councillors

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Malinga the Swinga

Was at the Christmas Market last night and Princes street was busy with tourists and folk walking about. Saw about 5 trams pass whilst I was about and there must have been a total of about 20 people in total using them, both coming in and out of West End. I used the bus, I don't stay on the toy train route, as they were mobbed.

 

Why on earth we built this total white elephant, I will never know.

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I appreciate that Dave although I take the moral high ground as the candidate I voted for didn't get in, ( so it's not my fault lol) what did piss me off was ,we as the electorate , had the opportunity at the last council elections to get a big change in the council in terms of the people serving but it wasn't taken unfortunately , maybe next time tho ,as surely no-one can be overly happy with the way the city is being managed in general by this set of councillors

the trouble with that is, whoever you vote in is just as bad as the ones there, theres no good politicians, you stick one party in front of the other, they all think their looking in a mirror

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the trouble with that is, whoever you vote in is just as bad as the ones there, theres no good politicians, you stick one party in front of the other, they all think their looking in a mirror

There's too many been there too long tho personally I'd cap the length of time they're allowed to serve
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It would be great if there was a mechanism to oust Councillors who don't take any notice of the electorate's views. They were quick to have the public vote on the proposed introduction of a Congestion Charge which presumably would have been a revenue earner so why didn't they let us vote on the vanity tram project. We all know they didn't ask us for our opinion because they knew they would get a massive NO result. They continue to ignore public opinion because they think they know best! Yes the same councillors who are now trying to save circa ?120M at the expense of up to 2000 jobs! 

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Buses busy?

Strange, because I remember confident predictions that numbers would fall, routes and services would be cut and the Airport bus would be forced to withdraw to make people use the trams...

 

Numbers up, investment in new equipment, improvement in services on the Airport route.

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Buses busy?

Strange, because I remember confident predictions that numbers would fall, routes and services would be cut and the Airport bus would be forced to withdraw to make people use the trams...

 

Numbers up, investment in new equipment, improvement in services on the Airport route.

And yet

 

Lothian Buses revenue in 2014 was up by 2.3% to ?135m. Pre-tax profits fell from ?11.7m to ?10.1m.

The company is owned mainly by City of Edinburgh Council, with small stakes held by neighbouring Lothian councils.

It owns more than 650 buses, and carries more than two million passengers each week. The numbers transported were up in 2014 by 2.6% to a total of 118 million.

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Buses busy?

Strange, because I remember confident predictions that numbers would fall, routes and services would be cut and the Airport bus would be forced to withdraw to make people use the trams...

 

Numbers up, investment in new equipment, improvement in services on the Airport route.

the tram was supposed to replace the airport bus, but as with everything badly managed in this farce, it cant handle the service and weve had to keep the buses running as well as the tram, useless piece of expensive tat, a shiny bauble

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  • 2 weeks later...

At least a Councillor (Tory) has suggested a referendum on the vanity trams to take place on the day of the next local elections! What a sensible idea unless of course you know it will get heavily defeated and don't want to risk a pet project!

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I genuinely didn't know that the tram was supposed to 'replace' the airport bus. I heard and read plenty of suggestions that the bus would be forced off the route to give the tram a monopoly though. That hasn't happened - indeed there have been service improvements I believe.

 

I don't understand your second sentence. The only reason we've still got buses is that the trams can't handle the service? In what way? I thought we still had buses was because it gave travellers a choice? All part of trying to encourage public transport to the airport.

the tram was supposed to replace the airport bus, but as with everything badly managed in this farce, it cant handle the service and weve had to keep the buses running as well as the tram, useless piece of expensive tat, a shiny bauble

I genuinely didn't know that the tram was supposed to 'replace' the airport bus. I heard and read plenty of suggestions that the bus would be forced off the route to give the tram a monopoly though. That hasn't happened - indeed there have been service improvements I believe.

 

I don't understand the second part - The only reason we've still got buses is that the trams can't handle the service? In what way? I thought we still had buses was because it gave travellers a choice? All part of trying to encourage public transport to the airport.

Edited by FWJ
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Optimus Prime

I genuinely didn't know that the tram was supposed to 'replace' the airport bus. I heard and read plenty of suggestions that the bus would be forced off the route to give the tram a monopoly though. That hasn't happened - indeed there have been service improvements I believe.

 

I don't understand the second part - The only reason we've still got buses is that the trams can't handle the service? In what way? I thought we still had buses was because it gave travellers a choice? All part of trying to encourage public transport to the airport.

 

At no point was the tram supposed to replace the bus service. The tram introduced a new transport corridor to ease the congestion faced across the west side of the city.

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I genuinely didn't know that the tram was supposed to 'replace' the airport bus. I heard and read plenty of suggestions that the bus would be forced off the route to give the tram a monopoly though. That hasn't happened - indeed there have been service improvements I believe.

 

I don't understand the second part - The only reason we've still got buses is that the trams can't handle the service? In what way? I thought we still had buses was because it gave travellers a choice? All part of trying to encourage public transport to the airport.

the tram was supposed to run at twice the speed it does and more carriages more often in the original plan that was proposed.

 

the bus is still quicker and just as reliable.

 

you said before that bus services had got busier, when you stick a great trundling road block like the tram running straight through the middle of the city slowing all traffic down and remove as many parking spaces as possible, along with the fact the tram only ever replaced some of the No 22 route then its no wonder buses are still busy.

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At no point was the tram supposed to replace the bus service. The tram introduced a new transport corridor to ease the congestion faced across the west side of the city.

 

The original rationale for the tram was to provide transport links for 50,000 people in posh flats that were to be built along the Forth from Ocean Terminal westwards. Surveys suggested that most of them would be yuppies, and wouldn't use the bus. And it would be impossible, this being Edinburgh, to build new roads for them. Hence the idea of a tram, with most of its traffic between Newhaven and Princes St, but subsequently extended to the airport on a 'why-the-hell-not' basis. 

 

Then later, somewhat ironically, the stretch that should have been busiest gets axed due to cost-overruns. And the building of thousands of new flats on the Forth gets abandoned due to the 2008 crash.

 

So, it was never built to replace the airport bus.

 

For what its worth, I think that the extension is necessary, given that so much of the cost of it (utilities and rolling stock) has already been spent.

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Optimus Prime

The original rationale for the tram was to provide transport links for 50,000 people in posh flats that were to be built along the Forth from Ocean Terminal westwards. Surveys suggested that most of them would be yuppies, and wouldn't use the bus. And it would be impossible, this being Edinburgh, to build new roads for them. Hence the idea of a tram, with most of its traffic between Newhaven and Princes St, but subsequently extended to the airport on a 'why-the-hell-not' basis. 

 

Then later, somewhat ironically, the stretch that should have been busiest gets axed due to cost-overruns. And the building of thousands of new flats on the Forth gets abandoned due to the 2008 crash.

 

So, it was never built to replace the airport bus.

 

For what its worth, I think that the extension is necessary, given that so much of the cost of it (utilities and rolling stock) has already been spent.

 

The original rationale for the tram was to provide transport links for 50,000 people in posh flats that were to be built along the Forth from Ocean Terminal westwards. Surveys suggested that most of them would be yuppies, and wouldn't use the bus. And it would be impossible, this being Edinburgh, to build new roads for them. Hence the idea of a tram, with most of its traffic between Newhaven and Princes St, but subsequently extended to the airport on a 'why-the-hell-not' basis. 

 

Then later, somewhat ironically, the stretch that should have been busiest gets axed due to cost-overruns. And the building of thousands of new flats on the Forth gets abandoned due to the 2008 crash.

 

So, it was never built to replace the airport bus.

 

For what its worth, I think that the extension is necessary, given that so much of the cost of it (utilities and rolling stock) has already been spent.

 

First I've heard of this survey.

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the tram was supposed to run at twice the speed it does and more carriages more often in the original plan that was proposed.the bus is still quicker and just as reliable.you said before that bus services had got busier, when you stick a great trundling road block like the tram running straight through the middle of the city slowing all traffic down and remove as many parking spaces as possible, along with the fact the tram only ever replaced some of the No 22 route then its no wonder buses are still busy.

Again I'm surprised to read that, as if they were travelling at twice their current speed they'd be travelling at upto 80 mph and at over 140 feet long they are already by far the longest trams in the UK. I don't know about service frequency but I'd be surprised if it was more than once every 8 minutes.

I'm delighted that contrary to many predictions the numbers using buses has gone up even though 5 million people a year are using the tram. Edinburgh wasn't designed for cars - and if it means people like me park on the outskirts and get the tram into town it frees up a space on the narrow streets of our medieval capital for those that don't feel they can do without their car.

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Seymour M Hersh

It would be great if there was a mechanism to oust Councillors who don't take any notice of the electorate's views. They were quick to have the public vote on the proposed introduction of a Congestion Charge which presumably would have been a revenue earner so why didn't they let us vote on the vanity tram project. We all know they didn't ask us for our opinion because they knew they would get a massive NO result. They continue to ignore public opinion because they think they know best! Yes the same councillors who are now trying to save circa ?120M at the expense of up to 2000 jobs! 

 

Stuart that was partly sold as a charge to help pay for the tram. It was heavily defeated 3/4-1 against it. Is it any wonder they avoided a direct referendum yes or no question on the enormous white elephant a.k.a. the tram?

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First I've heard of this survey.

You are right - I apologise. Meant to say 'consultants said'. The point is that developers - who probably weren't from Edinburgh - said they wouldn't use buses. I wasn't justifying their bs, just going over the history of how the thing got started, which wasn't to serve the airport

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Stuart that was partly sold as a charge to help pay for the tram. It was heavily defeated 3/4-1 against it. Is it any wonder they avoided a direct referendum yes or no question on the enormous white elephant a.k.a. the tram?

The congestion charge was to pay for the line up the Bridges and down to the new Royal at Little France.

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  • 3 weeks later...

So on average 13,699 (rounded up) people use it every day! That's the equivalent of 55 full trams every day.

 

The Trams operate over just under 18 hours per day Monday to Saturday with 8 to 10 minute frequency so approximately 6 per hour so that?s 108 tram journeys in each direction so 216 journeys @ 250 (tram capacity) passengers  x 6 days a week x 52 weeks  = 16,848,000 capacity excluding Sundays.  Is the tram such a great success if it is operating at less than a third of capacity or are my calculations wrong?

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  • 6 months later...
Stuart Lyon

And more costs to be incurred before any decision reached. Since nobody is likely to be charged with any offence just what will the inquiry conclude? When willCeC publish figures on the annual cost of the vanity trams in profit and loss terms with all areas of expenditure included? I read somewhere that maintenance and other costs are covered in the Council's finances elsewhere so as to improve the operating figures for the Trams but don't know if this is true.

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Fxxx the SPFL

No need for an enquiry everyman and his dog knew it was a total ****** up between council, bilfinger and every other twat that was involved. All they had to do was come out and make that statement at the outset.

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  • 1 year later...
Stuart Lyon

The CeC doesn't listen to the citizens of Edinburgh does it? Resurrecting plans to extend the vanity tram to Newhaven when we don't even have the result of Lord Hardie's enquiry. 

 

If the route includes Constitution St does the vanity tram not count as an HGV

 

post-586-0-77216600-1502277149_thumb.png

 

This sign is in Salamander St asa you approach Bernard St travelling west.

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