The jury is still out on whether we need a second tram line - Susan Dalgety

As a seasoned campaigner himself, Councillor Stephen Jenkinson knows only too well the rules of the game.

The main controversy continues to be the choice between the Roseburn Path or Orchard Brae routes on the northern section of the new line. But other issues have arisen and it is still not clear how the project will be financed.

There is a well-organised campaign to stop Roseburn Path being destroyed by the new tram line, and those in charge of it would not be doing their job properly if they had not encouraged people to vote against the proposal – which 68 per cent duly did.

I for one hope that Councillor Jenkinson listens to the opposition. Roseburn Path, a former railway line, is now a delightful oasis for walkers and cyclists in the heart of the city and should be protected at all cost.

Yes, we need public transport that is low-carbon and meets the needs of a bustling, successful 21st century city, but we also need green spaces where we can enjoy a different perspective on our city, free from traffic.

And from a purely personal standpoint, what would happen to Edinburgh’s Kiltwalk route if the Roseburn Path was transformed into a tram line?

I am taking part in my third walk on Sunday, September 13, and it has become one of the highlights of my year. Not just because it helps raise money to keep girls in school in Malawi, but because I get to spend time walking through the city with old and new friends, without fear of being run over or trapped in a sea of tourists.

My purely selfish motives aside, do we really need a second tram line? My husband, who made a career understanding how city and regional economies work, insists we do.

The council’s business case argues that because of a projected rise in the city’s population, a second tram line is necessary to ease congestion.

The Scottish Government could not care less, dismissing the proposal as a “local” one and making clear they don’t have the cash to fund it.

Cities need to continually re-invent themselves if they are to thrive in today’s global economy. It’s thanks in part to decisions taken by councillors in the 1980s through to the early 2000s that Edinburgh is successful now.

The transformation of Edinburgh Corporation Transport into a publicly-owned commercial bus company, the development of the South Gyle, the EICC and, of course, the first tram line have all contributed to our success.

Edinburgh and Lothian’s councillors were leading the way in regional economic development long before Andy Burnham was Mayor of Greater Manchester.

But a city has to be liveable too, and I have yet to be convinced that we need the upheaval and cost of a second tramline, particularly if it were to destroy Roseburn Path.

Councillor Jenkinson says we would need an extra 300 buses just to keep the city moving if the second line does not go ahead.

That may well be the case, but a few hundred new electric buses with additional routes would surely be far less costly and just as effective as a second tram line.