Booking at waste recycling centres - your views online

The booking system for Edinburgh residents using the council's recycling centres is to be made permanent despite claims it could lead to more fly-tipping

Steven Robertson

We don’t have a booking system in East Lothian, and everything works well. Sounds like more bureaucracy for the sake of it. Also, we don’t have garden pick up permits, the brown bins gets emptied as part of our normal recycling services.

Samantha Gray

West Lothian is worse – £35 for up to five items to uplift or book, but if you have a van or truck you can’t book at the weekend, only between 10am and 4pm. Useless if that’s your only transport.

Gary Clark

It's much better. The layout in Seafield when it opened was horrendous. Added the booking system and it’s much more efficient.

Lorna Johnston

The booking system to the tip is definitely a good idea and should be kept.

Tasneem Irshad

Use it all the time. Plenty of slots available at times that might suit. The only thing I would like to see a return of is the staff helping people who might need it instead of standing around watching people struggle who might not be able to bring someone with them.

Ian Young

A good system. The staff at the centres find it a great improvement, users find it an improvement. A win-win for all.

Clare Fallas

It’s a brilliant system! No long queues and if I’m going I’ll ask my neighbours if they need anything taken. I’m happy it’s here to stay.

Hafiz Ahmed

Booking system is good, but when you want to make multiple trips, say for example you decide to clear out the garage, then it falls short. Seems only Edinburgh City Council are adopting the policy on a permanent basis.

Geoff Raper

Much better system for me. Previously it was terrible queuing around weekends but with a booking it’s a very quick in and out.

Dawn Turner Cathcart

I’ve found the booking system quite straightforward. What I’m not clear on is what to do if you need multiple trips. Do you have to book multiple slots 30 mins apart?

Carol Martin

Booking system has been great, very easy and it makes your visit there quick! There is no excuse for fly tipping, just laziness and it's terrible expecting someone else to pick up your mess!

Joanne Gillon

Yeah, but if you need to hire a van to dump items, you cannot book the recycle centre as you don't know what your registration plate is until you get the van, in which case you might not be able to book an appt!

Glyn Ednie

Fife has gone back to no booking and it works fine here.

Ross A Brown

The Edinburgh system couldn't have been that good when so many Edinburgh residents were using East Lothian recycling centres. Hence they started again with the "Proof of address may be required", but it's never checked when I've been at the Kinwegar centre.

Rail fares

SNP urged to lower fares and increase services now ScotRail is nationalised

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While ScotRail’s performance suffered under Abellio, many of the problems were caused by factors outside its direct control, such as Network Rail infrastructure failures, late-delivered new trains and industrial action. The SNP never put it in public hands for people to say, oh it's public now, discount the fares and improve other rail services etc. Not going to happen.

Alex Monaghan

If they want the public out of their cars, something needs to be done to make commuting by public transport financially on a par with driving.

Elizabeth Thomson

The difference in fares is horrendous. Livi to Edinburgh takes 23 mins and is £10.30 peak return. Airdrie to Queen Street takes 24 mins and costs £7.50 peak return because the journey is subsidised.

Steven Muir

Can you see the Tories, Labour and Lib Dems reducing fares? I think not. SNP and the Scottish Greens have gone the right way in nationalising it.

Hercules Rockefeller

Being the SNP, they'll more likely reduce services and increase fares.

Claire Wallace

It’s just gone into public hands, give the Scots Gov a chance to change things instead of shooting them down before they have had a chance to breathe.

Laird Ronald Simpson

If the service is good, so many cars could be off the road, (which they want, by the way), but it must be affordable.

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