Tram costs set to rise by £9m a year - your views online

A fall in projected passenger numbers for Edinburgh’s tram extension will leave the city council having to find up to £9.25 million a year to fund the new line, councillors have been warned.

Bruce Omond

I came up Leith Walk a couple of days ago, what a state the place still is. Absolute disgrace in a major city.

Edward Peters

Another catastrophic disaster from CEC. Tinpot dictators.

David Hally

£9.25 million – waste of money, should have been given to the NHS, they need more.

Angela Whitson

Does that mean that it will be “done away with” and more money spent to get rid of the tracks?

Alex Weir

So what essential public services will be cut this time so the zombie undead tram can continue its pointless existence?

Kyle Danko

So the council over estimated demand to press ahead with a project no one wanted and now it's going to require cuts to other basic services. Bravo Lesley Macinnes, bravo.

Jimmy Dobson

Folks, maybe we should also look at how Lothian Buses have been allowed to spend many millions on new buses over the last few years, monies that could have been given to the city from dividend payments, if any, instead of a vanity trip for the bus group and clouncil. Next year some of these vehicles will be redundant when Leith opens up to a faster way into the city and westward.

Wendy Bell

The council also lost £8 million on parking tickets, thanks to Covid and Spaces for People, on top of this council transport department in deep trouble.

Iain Fisher

The updated business case that went for approval showed no positive benefit which by definition means there will be an ongoing cost. It was still approved. Only the public sector will approve a project with no viable benefits case.

Petra Carlisle

Now the rules are to return to normal, surely it will pick up again!

Clermiston Litterati

Actually, the numbers will rise. Who drives into town now?

Andy Unsworth

£9m a year to be found from the general revenue budget is equivalent to closing every library or 50 per cent of the bin collection service. So Lesley - where is the £9m coming from, be honest with us.

Christine Douglas

Well that's a shock. The second phase should never have gone ahead. It’s a mess down Leith and at Picardy Place. Big mistake by CEC and down to Newhaven at Ocean Terminal, there will soon be no outlets.

Fay Garden

Possibly because there’s been no tourists for the last two years?

Jennifer Clark

Especially when the free travel to under 22s have been dished out.

Sean McQueenie

Since some idiot decided that Edinburgh needed trams to the tune of almost £2 billion the city has been a complete and utter disaster. At the time we had an award-winning bus service that was doing the city just fine. So even after all the expenditure to get it running, it will now have to be subsidised by almost £10 million a year while kids are going hungry in the capital city of Scotland.

Donald McLaren

Of course there has been a drop in numbers, we've been working from home for the best part of two years and not going in to the city.

Willie Anderson

And where is our transport convenor Lesley Macinnes to explain this to the people of Edinburgh? She is at war with the motorists, she has cycleways at the side of roads, when the new Highway Code states cyclists should cycle in the middle of the lane, where is she ? Has anyone seen her?

Christine Nisbet

A planning disaster they should all be sacked.

Diarmid Martin

Real value for money then!

Pauline Weddell

Absolute waste of money and Ill thought out!

David Ross

Never understood why they wanted to send trams to Newhaven, unless you want a fish supper.

Daniel Carr

Quit while they’re ahead. Save us money and stop the pointless tram project.

Frankie Scotland

Council tax is going to go high soon.

David McRobbie

To be fair, I reckon numbers will be back up by then. If not it will be because people continue to work from home semi permanently and you can’t really plan for that.

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