Edinburgh Trams Farce Continues

[Stuart Lyon]

The other day Ms McInnes spouted about  Edinburgh's climate changing and becoming worse. She said it was in part due to climate change and urged people to participate in the CeC's Meet me half way programme which encourages people to cycle and walk more.  Walking and cycling more in bad weather; you would have to be mad to do that!   If people cycle and walk more  will the buses and trams suffer further losses of income and thereby make profitability even further away. 

 

I have yet to see enough cyclists anywhere in Edinburgh to justify the Spaces for Cyclists vanity project! I still think Edinburgh  is not a cycle friendly city because of its hilly terrain!

[Harry Potter]

Never been on one, probably never will, 2 miles to my nearest stop😏.

[The Real Maroonblood]

1 hour ago, Cade said:

In 2003, when the first Bills were passed in the Scottish Parliament, this was the entire planned network, expected to cost a total of £498 million for all three lines:

 

Line 1 was the loop from St Andrew's Square to Leith to Granton back to York Place.

 

Line 2 was the bit from Newbridge to St Andrew's Square.

Line 3 was the line from Haymarket to Musselburgh

 

 

Line 3 was scrapped when Edinburgh Coonsil lost their traffic congestion charge referendum in 2005, which was to fund that tram line.

 

Faced with mounting costs to the public purse, the SNP tried to scrap the entire scheme in 2007 but lost the vote in Parliament due to being a minority government at that time.

 

Line 1 got scrapped.

 

By 2010, the cost of the single remaining Line 2 had risen to £600million.

 

The Newbridge to Edinburgh Airport bit was scrapped.

 

By 2011, costs had risen to £770 million.

 

Edinburgh council tried to cut more of Line 2, terminating it at Haymarket, leaving the project with a single line running from the airport to Haymarket, a total distance of 7 miles (or £110 million a mile)

The Scottish Government then refused to provide any more funding unless the line was extended all the way to York Place.

Edinburgh Coonsil took out a £231 milllion loan at 100% interest.

The city will be paying off this loan debt to the tune of £15.4 million a year until 2041.

 

When factoring in this eye-watering loan interest, the final bill for the 8.5 mile line topped £1.2billion.

 

£144million a mile.

 

Embra Coonsil is currently in the process of extending the line to Newhaven. The projected cost for this is £144 million. Place yer bets on how far past that figure we end up on.

That’s disgusting.

The people responsible should be ashamed.

[FWJ]

1 hour ago, Cade said:

In 2003, when the first Bills were passed in the Scottish Parliament, this was the entire planned network, expected to cost a total of £498 million for all three lines:

 

Line 1 was the loop from St Andrew's Square to Leith to Granton back to York Place.

 

Line 2 was the bit from Newbridge to St Andrew's Square.

Line 3 was the line from Haymarket to Musselburgh

 

 

Line 3 was scrapped when Edinburgh Coonsil lost their traffic congestion charge referendum in 2005, which was to fund that tram line.

 

Faced with mounting costs to the public purse, the SNP tried to scrap the entire scheme in 2007 but lost the vote in Parliament due to being a minority government at that time.

 

Line 1 got scrapped.

 

By 2010, the cost of the single remaining Line 2 had risen to £600million.

 

The Newbridge to Edinburgh Airport bit was scrapped.

 

By 2011, costs had risen to £770 million.

 

Edinburgh council tried to cut more of Line 2, terminating it at Haymarket, leaving the project with a single line running from the airport to Haymarket, a total distance of 7 miles (or £110 million a mile)

The Scottish Government then refused to provide any more funding unless the line was extended all the way to York Place.

Edinburgh Coonsil took out a £231 milllion loan at 100% interest.

The city will be paying off this loan debt to the tune of £15.4 million a year until 2041.

 

When factoring in this eye-watering loan interest, the final bill for the 8.5 mile line topped £1.2billion.

 

£144million a mile.

 

Embra Coonsil is currently in the process of extending the line to Newhaven. The projected cost for this is £144 million. Place yer bets on how far past that figure we end up on.

I don’t think anyone is happy with the management and huge cost overruns with the initial part of the tram line but cost overruns are not peculiar to the trams.  The Aberdeen Western Peripheral Route was initially estimated at around £295m.  The final cost is in the order of £1b.  I don’t know if that includes the interest charges (because, like councils, governments borrow money to do stuff) but it seems adding the cost of borrowing to cover capital costs is peculiar to the trams.

 

I wonder if you clarify what you mean by “100% interest”.  Every other interest rate I see goes by annual rates.  Although this doesn’t sound quite so dramatic.

 

(If I buy a house for £200k and end up over the years paying £300k in cost/interest and charges then I wouldn’t say it was a 50% interest

rate - I’d also say that it cost £200k not £300k and I don’t know anyone who would)

 

Could you also clarify the £1.2billion as  every other quote (other than the fanciful guesstimates here and elsewhere) give the cost as £776m.  Even doing the otherwise unheard-of thing of adding interest charges to the capital costs gives a total of £500m (Scottish Government) + £462m (CofE  ) = £962m

 

I repeat, no-one is happy with the way the build went with the first line and I’m looking forward to the publication of the inquiry as much as anyone (particularly why Transport Scotland were taken off the management of the build).  The SG cancelled EARL - the ‘fast’ way to the airport - and wanted to cancel the trams in order to fund the dualling of the A9 to Inverness at a cost of £3 billion - a scheme with a BCR of much less than 1 until some massaging of the figures.

 

I’ll also repeat that the trams are here (against confident predictions), they’re working well (against confident predictions) and the passenger numbers, until covid, were higher than expected (against confident predictions).  Because they are doing so well the cost of the new extension is being funded by borrowing against future ticket sales.  When the extension is completed passenger numbers will double and I hope we’ll see the further expansion.

 

[FWJ]

1 hour ago, Harry Potter said:

Never been on one, probably never will, 2 miles to my nearest stop😏.

Bit like me on the Stirling to Alloa line, the Bathgate to Airdrie line and TBH can’t see me using the Leven rail line either.

I’ve never been on the Aberdeen West Route or the M74 extension either.

Still, good infrastructure is important to a country or a city, so I’m happy to see them built.

[EIEIO]

11 minutes ago, FWJ said:

Bit like me on the Stirling to Alloa line, the Bathgate to Airdrie line and TBH can’t see me using the Leven rail line either.

I’ve never been on the Aberdeen West Route or the M74 extension either.

Still, good infrastructure is important to a country or a city, so I’m happy to see them built.

Agree good infrastructure is very important,  you missed the A9 dualling which is slowly getting there. 

[FWJ]

Just now, EIEIO said:

Agree good infrastructure is very important,  you missed the A9 dualling which is slowly getting there. 

TBH I think the £6 billion being spent on dualling the A9 and A96 to Inverness would be better spent around the country.  I travel the length of the Inverness to Perth section at least twice a week (and have done for 30-odd years) and I’d say it’s pretty good as it is.  Maybe dual from Perth to Pitlochry and have another 2+1 southbound between Slochd and Kincraig and that would do.  It takes 2hours from the outskirts of Inverness to the outskirts of Perth.  Maybe 5 minutes more, maybe 5 minutes less, but with the speed cameras it runs pretty steadily.

Compared to other long distance rural routes in Scotland (A82, A7, A1, A77 etc) it’s a dream.  If we could get these roads up to the standard the A9 is now it would be as transformative for their economies as rebuilding the A9 40 years ago was for Inverness’s. 

[Cade]

Leisure centres and libraries closing.

Public toilets shut.

Weeds overgrowing everywhere.

Bin collections reduced so waste is building up all over the city.

Roads in an awful state.

 

Embra Coonsil says these cutbacks had to happen to balance the budget.

Yes, because we have to pay £15.4 million a year in tram loan repayments for the next 20 years.

 

The basic infrastructure and services of this city have been sacrificed on the altar of this white elephant vanity project.

Electric bendy buses would have cost a few million at most and carried the same passenger numbers as the trams do.

 

Edited August 12, 2021 by Cade

[Jeffros Furios]

42 minutes ago, FWJ said:

I don’t think anyone is happy with the management and huge cost overruns with the initial part of the tram line but cost overruns are not peculiar to the trams.  The Aberdeen Western Peripheral Route was initially estimated at around £295m.  The final cost is in the order of £1b.  I don’t know if that includes the interest charges (because, like councils, governments borrow money to do stuff) but it seems adding the cost of borrowing to cover capital costs is peculiar to the trams.

 

I wonder if you clarify what you mean by “100% interest”.  Every other interest rate I see goes by annual rates.  Although this doesn’t sound quite so dramatic.

 

(If I buy a house for £200k and end up over the years paying £300k in cost/interest and charges then I wouldn’t say it was a 50% interest

rate - I’d also say that it cost £200k not £300k and I don’t know anyone who would)

 

Could you also clarify the £1.2billion as  every other quote (other than the fanciful guesstimates here and elsewhere) give the cost as £776m.  Even doing the otherwise unheard-of thing of adding interest charges to the capital costs gives a total of £500m (Scottish Government) + £462m (CofE  ) = £962m

 

I repeat, no-one is happy with the way the build went with the first line and I’m looking forward to the publication of the inquiry as much as anyone (particularly why Transport Scotland were taken off the management of the build).  The SG cancelled EARL - the ‘fast’ way to the airport - and wanted to cancel the trams in order to fund the dualling of the A9 to Inverness at a cost of £3 billion - a scheme with a BCR of much less than 1 until some massaging of the figures.

 

I’ll also repeat that the trams are here (against confident predictions), they’re working well (against confident predictions) and the passenger numbers, until covid, were higher than expected (against confident predictions).  Because they are doing so well the cost of the new extension is being funded by borrowing against future ticket sales.  When the extension is completed passenger numbers will double and I hope we’ll see the further expansion.

 

A large chunk of tram users(pre covid) were tourists to and from the Airport .

It would be interesting to see how many people living in the city actually uses them .

I hate them , They look awful and the traffic congestion caused by them pisses me off .

They are here to stay but I will never use them and I'd imagine due to the route and even the Leith extension that many who reside  in the city will use them .

Someone should put up a poll regarding this 😀

I would do a poll but I'm too thick .

[superjack]

6 minutes ago, Cade said:

Leisure centres and libraries closing.

Public toilets shut.

Weeds overgrowing everywhere.

Bin collections reduced so waste is building up all over the city.

Roads in an awful state.

 

Embra Coonsil says these cutbacks had to happen to balance the budget.

Yes, because we have to pay £15.4 million a year in tram loan repayments for the next 20 years.

 

The basic infrastructure and services of this city have been sacrificed on the altar of this white elephant vanity project.

Electric bendy buses would have cost a few million at most and carried the same passenger numbers as the trams do.

 

I'm sure I read somewhere thatbtheybtried electric buses in Edinburgh but due to how hilly the city is, electric buses were of no use. Cant remember where unread it though.

[Jeffros Furios]

14 minutes ago, Cade said:

Leisure centres and libraries closing.

Public toilets shut.

Weeds overgrowing everywhere.

Bin collections reduced so waste is building up all over the city.

Roads in an awful state.

 

Embra Coonsil says these cutbacks had to happen to balance the budget.

Yes, because we have to pay £15.4 million a year in tram loan repayments for the next 20 years.

 

The basic infrastructure and services of this city have been sacrificed on the altar of this white elephant vanity project.

Electric bendy buses would have cost a few million at most and carried the same passenger numbers as the trams do.

 

Agree with every word Cade and it infuriates me .

[FWJ]

42 minutes ago, Cade said:

Leisure centres and libraries closing.

Public toilets shut.

Weeds overgrowing everywhere.

Bin collections reduced so waste is building up all over the city.

Roads in an awful state.

 

Embra Coonsil says these cutbacks had to happen to balance the budget.

Yes, because we have to pay £15.4 million a year in tram loan repayments for the next 20 years.

 

The basic infrastructure and services of this city have been sacrificed on the altar of this white elephant vanity project.

Electric bendy buses would have cost a few million at most and carried the same passenger numbers as the trams do.

 

Good transport is basic infrastructure and a service.

’Bendy’ buses do not suit the narrow streets and tight corners of Edinburgh (I don’t know if the hilly nature of the city is a problem or not).  They were withdrawn from London because they were involved in 5x the number of accidents involving pedestrians than conventional buses.

 

Also, people are more likely to leave their car for a tram than a bus.

[FWJ]

43 minutes ago, Jeffros Furios said:

A large chunk of tram users(pre covid) were tourists to and from the Airport .

It would be interesting to see how many people living in the city actually uses them .

I hate them , They look awful and the traffic congestion caused by them pisses me off .

They are here to stay but I will never use them and I'd imagine due to the route and even the Leith extension that many who reside  in the city will use them .

Someone should put up a poll regarding this 😀

I would do a poll but I'm too thick .

There was a poll about completing the extension to Newhaven on here and if memory serves about 2/3 were in favour.

I don’t know the %s of users being tourists to and from the airport and how many are locals using them to get to work / shops etc, I don’t think I’ve ever seen those figures published.  It would be interesting to find out.

 

Worth noting though that another confident prediction here and elsewhere was that the 100 Airport Bus would be withdrawn in order to give the tram a face-saving monopoly.  Instead it went from strength to strength and was joined be 3 (?) other routes.

[EIEIO]

1 hour ago, FWJ said:

TBH I think the £6 billion being spent on dualling the A9 and A96 to Inverness would be better spent around the country.  I travel the length of the Inverness to Perth section at least twice a week (and have done for 30-odd years) and I’d say it’s pretty good as it is.  Maybe dual from Perth to Pitlochry and have another 2+1 southbound between Slochd and Kincraig and that would do.  It takes 2hours from the outskirts of Inverness to the outskirts of Perth.  Maybe 5 minutes more, maybe 5 minutes less, but with the speed cameras it runs pretty steadily.

Compared to other long distance rural routes in Scotland (A82, A7, A1, A77 etc) it’s a dream.  If we could get these roads up to the standard the A9 is now it would be as transformative for their economies as rebuilding the A9 40 years ago was for Inverness’s. 

Disagree with A1 it is fine until after Berwick. Having spent a couple of weeks on Mull and Ardnamurchan any road with two lanes is luxury.  

[The Real Maroonblood]

1 hour ago, Cade said:

Leisure centres and libraries closing.

Public toilets shut.

Weeds overgrowing everywhere.

Bin collections reduced so waste is building up all over the city.

Roads in an awful state.

 

Embra Coonsil says these cutbacks had to happen to balance the budget.

Yes, because we have to pay £15.4 million a year in tram loan repayments for the next 20 years.

 

The basic infrastructure and services of this city have been sacrificed on the altar of this white elephant vanity project.

Electric bendy buses would have cost a few million at most and carried the same passenger numbers as the trams do.

 

[Harry Potter]

1 hour ago, FWJ said:

Bit like me on the Stirling to Alloa line, the Bathgate to Airdrie line and TBH can’t see me using the Leven rail line either.

I’ve never been on the Aberdeen West Route or the M74 extension either.

Still, good infrastructure is important to a country or a city, so I’m happy to see them built.

Aye trams good for folk coming in to Edinburgh Airport, direct route up town, hit the bars sorted.😃.

[Governor Tarkin]

Edinburgh is a ****ing dump these days, tbh. Been in third world equatorial shitholes with less greenery growing out of the pavements, and the streets of Sarajevo had less craters in them when we visited in 2003.

[Malinga the Swinga]

Council interested in tourist and vanity projects that are to detriment of those living in city. Tourists don't use leisure centres or libraries so council not that bothered about them. Tourists don't have waster collected and don't travel to areas such as Niddrie, Pilton, Oxgangs or others do who cares if they are left in state.

Too busy planning trams and boulevards and other nonsense.

Other than those who have financial interest as they work on project or have worked on it, I have never spoken to one Edinburgh resident who thinks trams are good idea.

 

[The Real Maroonblood]

2 minutes ago, Malinga the Swinga said:

Council interested in tourist and vanity projects that are to detriment of those living in city. Tourists don't use leisure centres or libraries so council not that bothered about them. Tourists don't have waster collected and don't travel to areas such as Niddrie, Pilton, Oxgangs or others do who cares if they are left in state.

Too busy planning trams and boulevards and other nonsense.

Other than those who have financial interest as they work on project or have worked on it, I have never spoken to one Edinburgh resident who thinks trams are good idea.

 

Fair comment

[Famous 1874]

Vote these twats out. Many of their decisions are simply ruining Edinburgh. They don’t care about any of their citizens, bar cyclists it seems. 
 

They finally do a consultation following thousands of complaints about the spaces for people nonsense, receive feedback and then don’t bother with the changes? E.g Lanark road. What’s the ****ing point in asking for feedback then?

[Governor Tarkin]

On 12/08/2021 at 12:54, Malinga the Swinga said:

Council interested in tourist and vanity projects that are to detriment of those living in city. Tourists don't use leisure centres or libraries so council not that bothered about them. Tourists don't have waster collected and don't travel to areas such as Niddrie, Pilton, Oxgangs or others do who cares if they are left in state.

Too busy planning trams and boulevards and other nonsense.

Other than those who have financial interest as they work on project or have worked on it, I have never spoken to one Edinburgh resident who thinks trams are good idea.

 

 

Parts of Oxgangs are a disgrace these days.

Resembling East Berlin in the late 1960s.

[FWJ]

Tourism contributes over £1.3 billion to the economy of Edinburgh annually and supports 30,000 jobs.  Shops, bars, restaurants - how many would be viable without the hundreds of thousands of tourists that come here every year? How much Council Tax does the council get from thriving businesses?

(Another oft quoted prediction was that the trams would put tourists off from visiting.  How’d that work out?)

Even things like the airport.  I remember when the only international destinations were a couple of daily flights to Dublin and Amsterdam.  Now you can fly to just about anywhere in Europe and half a dozen cities in N America.  Yes, lo-co airlines are part of that but a lot of it is sustained by people flying to Edinburgh.  One of the reasons why Edinburgh Airport is (or will be again soon...) booming and Glasgow Airport is in the doldrums.
 

(Having said all that the council are right to be looking into the proliferation of Air BnB in the city)

Edited August 15, 2021 by FWJ

[Howdy Doody Jambo]

9 hours ago, Famous 1874 said:

Vote these twats out. Many of their decisions are simply ruining Edinburgh. They don’t care about any of their citizens, bar cyclists it seems. 
 

They finally do a consultation following thousands of complaints about the spaces for people nonsense, receive feedback and then don’t bother with the changes? E.g Lanark road. What’s the ****ing point in asking for feedback then?

Most voters in Edinburgh just voted them lot back in, hilarious Turkeys voting for Christmas just another 4 year or so until the opportunity to do so again, do people know who they are voting into power? 

The whole toon is a load of bollards, it's just a shithole with a castle

I'm convinced it's the few selfish councilors that make up these design plans for their personal choice and not for the people of Edinburgh who pay for it, the clowncil tax just goes up and up for less, broon bin charge up 40% alone on last year which used to be included with waste bin collection 

Edited August 15, 2021 by The Maroon Pound

[FWJ]

Maybe there could be a way of getting fast food places to pay extra council tax (or a condition of receiving planning permission) and that money is ringfenced for litter pickers / bin emptiers?

(I’m not being funny, it’s a genuine suggestion. I’m not sure if or how it would work but the litter in Edinburgh - and throughout the country - is an absolute disgrace.  But that’s our fault)

[Spellczech]

9 minutes ago, FWJ said:

Maybe there could be a way of getting fast food places to pay extra council tax (or a condition of receiving planning permission) and that money is ringfenced for litter pickers / bin emptiers?

(I’m not being funny, it’s a genuine suggestion. I’m not sure if or how it would work but the litter in Edinburgh - and throughout the country - is an absolute disgrace.  But that’s our fault)

It's a good idea but the problem is drawing the line - are Costa fast food? I'd say yes but they'd say no...

 

Our council annoy me intensely. Trams is vanity project for traditionalists who hate cars but love public transport. Yet still nobody deemed responsible for it...

 

The new cycle and walking lanes are mostly a total waste of money

 

All I get for my Council Tax is bin emptying and emergency services if I ever need them, yet it is the waste services they always try to cut - why not the libraries (anachronistic) or the free taxi services for getting problem children to school or make people pay for their own bloody children? 

[frankblack]

2 hours ago, The Maroon Pound said:

Most voters in Edinburgh just voted them lot back in, hilarious Turkeys voting for Christmas just another 4 year or so until the opportunity to do so again, do people know who they are voting into power? 

The whole toon is a load of bollards, it's just a shithole with a castle

I'm convinced it's the few selfish councilors that make up these design plans for their personal choice and not for the people of Edinburgh who pay for it, the clowncil tax just goes up and up for less, broon bin charge up 40% alone on last year which used to be included with waste bin collection 

 

The only hope is that the cultists will wake up and realise that local politics should be voted for on local issues, and independence isn't on the table at council elections.

 

The only vote to get them out is for the Tories.  Remember that last time the Tories won the majority of council seats but Labour and the SNP shafted them by joining forces, so you can't vote for either as they simply can't be trusted.

[Jeffros Furios]

6 minutes ago, frankblack said:

 

The only hope is that the cultists will wake up and realise that local politics should be voted for on local issues, and independence isn't on the table at council elections.

 

The only vote to get them out is for the Tories.  Remember that last time the Tories won the majority of council seats but Labour and the SNP shafted them by joining forces, so you can't vote for either as they simply can't be trusted.

That's why I vote Tory on local issues , they're the only party who disagree with this ongoing madness .

Could never vote them nationally  . . Infact I don't vote nationally .

[frankblack]

Just now, Jeffros Furios said:

That's why I vote Tory on local issues , they're the only party who disagree with this ongoing madness .

Could never vote them nationally  . . Infact I don't vote nationally .

 

This is the problem we face.

 

I don't care what people view of them at Scottish or National level but local issues are completely separate and people need to vote with their heads.  This clowncil needs to be emptied.

[FWJ]

41 minutes ago, Deke Thornton said:

But we already had an extensive and efficient bus service - which now subsidises the trams.

 

We still have an extensive and efficient bus service.  The trouble is, the more buses on a street the less efficient it becomes - buses back up other buses.  It already happens on Princes Street and it was starting to happen on Leith Walk.  This was noted by someone a few pages back, who also noted another problem - tourists unfamiliar with the bus service and not having change clogging up the one door in.  Not a problem with the pay-before-boarding, multiple large wide door trams.

The trams aren’t to replace the buses, they are to be the spine of the busiest routes.

[FWJ]

6 minutes ago, Deke Thornton said:

You’re without question the number one trams happy clapping fanboy!

Congratulations!👏

👍

[Fxxx the SPFL]

I’m looking forward to the extension quick walk along and that’s me until I get off at Saughton for work saves having to get bus and tram sorted apologies but i do like trams. The only issue apart from cost is the speed going round bends Nottingham and Sheffield trams take the bends far quicker without any problem 

[Dazo]

11 hours ago, FWJ said:

We still have an extensive and efficient bus service.  The trouble is, the more buses on a street the less efficient it becomes - buses back up other buses.  It already happens on Princes Street and it was starting to happen on Leith Walk.  This was noted by someone a few pages back, who also noted another problem - tourists unfamiliar with the bus service and not having change clogging up the one door in.  Not a problem with the pay-before-boarding, multiple large wide door trams.

The trams aren’t to replace the buses, they are to be the spine of the busiest routes.

For some unknown reason FWJ you seem to be championing the Trams beyond normal logic. Apologies if it wasn’t you but you were saying further your the thread about how much tourists bring to the city mans now they are the cause id bus issues ? Regardless pay before boarding and contactless are all available on buses so it really isn’t a stick to hit the buses with. 

[XB52]

Every decent city has trams and I bet every one had loads of folk hating them at the start. I know Dublin had big protests about them but now they love them. Just like in Edinburgh where they are busier than the most optimistic estimates, pre Covid. 

[Dunks]

5 hours ago, XB52 said:

Every decent city has trams and I bet every one had loads of folk hating them at the start. I know Dublin had big protests about them but now they love them. Just like in Edinburgh where they are busier than the most optimistic estimates, pre Covid. 

 

Dublin had similar issues with costs rising and ongoing delays and ultimately, the initial plans were reduced to two separate lines. Fast forward a few years and there are still active campaigns to extend the system both in Dublin and other Irish cities. Extensions to both lines to date means that they do actually intersect now.

 

Original plans included a line to Dublin Airport, but this was dropped in favour of a metro link instead, with an estimated cost of 3 billion euro. Construction has yet to begin.

 

The trams also operate without subsidy as their income exceeds costs. This also allows for pensioners, those on Disability Allowance and those on Carers Allowance travelling free (applies across Ireland).

 

And no, this does not include capital repayments

[XB52]

3 hours ago, Deke Thornton said:

A trams network might have been justifiable. But a single west to east line that serves none of the tens of thousands of Edinburgh citizens who live north or south of it - meh.

I agree and pretty sure that will come, at least I hope so

[Салатные палочки]

Is this real?

 

[Stu_HMFC]

3 hours ago, Salad Fingers said:

Is this real?

 

I've seen Leigh Griffiths getting on the tram around Hermiston Gate! I might need to call and report that I have spotted it haha!

[Des Lynam]

On 15/08/2021 at 00:10, Famous 1874 said:

Vote these twats out. Many of their decisions are simply ruining Edinburgh. They don’t care about any of their citizens, bar cyclists it seems. 
 

They finally do a consultation following thousands of complaints about the spaces for people nonsense, receive feedback and then don’t bother with the changes? E.g Lanark road. What’s the ****ing point in asking for feedback then?

 

On 15/08/2021 at 12:12, frankblack said:

 

The only hope is that the cultists will wake up and realise that local politics should be voted for on local issues, and independence isn't on the table at council elections.

 

The only vote to get them out is for the Tories.  Remember that last time the Tories won the majority of council seats but Labour and the SNP shafted them by joining forces, so you can't vote for either as they simply can't be trusted.

 

On 15/08/2021 at 12:21, Jeffros Furios said:

That's why I vote Tory on local issues , they're the only party who disagree with this ongoing madness .

Could never vote them nationally  . . Infact I don't vote nationally .

 

On 15/08/2021 at 12:23, frankblack said:

 

This is the problem we face.

 

I don't care what people view of them at Scottish or National level but local issues are completely separate and people need to vote with their heads.  This clowncil needs to be emptied.

 

[milky_26]

5 hours ago, Salad Fingers said:

Is this real?

 

Fake according to the tram people

www.edinburghlive.co.uk/news/edinburgh-news/tweet-edinburgh-trams-gone-viral-15223299.amp

[Governor Tarkin]

1 hour ago, Des Lynam said:

 

 

 

 

 

[Harry Potter]

The cooncil put up the brown bin collection by 40%, yes 40%, they are a joke, they had the cheek to send me a 2nd reminder.

Should be included in the council tax.

[frankblack]

5 minutes ago, Harry Potter said:

The cooncil put up the brown bin collection by 40%, yes 40%, they are a joke, they had the cheek to send me a 2nd reminder.

Should be included in the council tax.

 

 

Its a ****ing disgrace.

 

The spaces for people consultation result was flat out ignored by the council because it opposed their plan outright.  They decided to press on regardless - complete and utter cretins.

[Governor Tarkin]

1 hour ago, frankblack said:

 

 

Its a ****ing disgrace.

 

 complete and utter cretins.

 

[Dennis Reynolds]

Went to pick up some new brake pads about 4pm and trying to get through Leith was a ******* nightmare 🥲 Thought I was being smart going a bit early and missing rush hour but everyone else clearly had that idea. Didn't realise the amount of roads that had been closed. Then the roads that they divert you down have got temp lights on them 😂 Will pay for delivery next time.

[The Real Maroonblood]

Extension put back another 5 months. 

According to EEN.

Edited November 26, 2021 by The Real Maroonblood

[Malinga the Swinga]

2 minutes ago, The Real Maroonblood said:

Extension put back another 5 months. 

I'm sure it will be reported as out with their control. Bunch of incompetents should be run out of office at first chance, but they won't be as voters will follow party politics and SNP will be back. 

Worst council in past 40 years.

[The Real Maroonblood]

1 minute ago, Malinga the Swinga said:

I'm sure it will be reported as out with their control. Bunch of incompetents should be run out of office at first chance, but they won't be as voters will follow party politics and SNP will be back. 

Worst council in past 40 years.

They are a joke. 

[Cade]

No matter which party they belong to, Edinburgh councillors have been useless fuds for as long as anybody can remember.

[frankblack]

2 minutes ago, Cade said:

No matter which party they belong to, Edinburgh councillors have been useless fuds for as long as anybody can remember.

 

Exactly, but this is going to hit businesses hard that are on that route.  I assume there will be compensation for the loss of business they are causing?

 

[skinnybob72]

I was walking down Leith Walk a couple of weeks ago and there was an ambulance with blue lights flashing trying to head towards town - and it was stuck behind a bus because the bus had nowhere to go to let it by. When it comes to traffic the council have not got a clue.