Readers' letters: Tram network has gone far enough

Now that the tram tracks have finally reached Newhaven, some members of Edinburgh Council are floating the idea that there should be further construction for a track to the Royal Infirmary, or a loop round to the airport, or even to Dalkeith.

The next phase of Edinburgh's trams, a line from Granton to the Infirmary, will open by 2035, says transport convener Scott Arthur. Picture: Andy OBrien.

The thinking seems to be that they have squandered so many millions of public funds and disrupted so many businesses for years, that they really must do it all again in order to distract from the folly of doing it in the first place!

The basic argument against trams is that they are stuck in their tracks. The route they travel is set and cannot be altered without massive expense and disruption.

By contrast, buses are adaptable and their routes can be altered easily. The many millions that were squandered on the trams would have bought a whole fleet of modern green buses which would have served all of Edinburgh.

The trams need to be stopped in their tracks now. Enough is enough. Edinburgh Council should rule out any further waste of public funds on that obsolete technology.

Our streets and roads are appalling with ruts and potholes which damage vehicles and force cyclists to swerve into traffic.

Our councillors need to focus their efforts on repairing our city and ensuring that all of it meets the transport needs of all our citizens.

Les Reid, Edinburgh

Long wait for an upgrade to the A9

In May 2011 the SNP won the Scottish parliamentary elections with 69 seats.

In December 2011 they confirmed a commitment to upgrade the A9 between Perth and Inverness to a full dual carriageway by 2025. Only 30 miles have been completed leaving 80 miles to complete. Since 2010 there have been 72 deaths and numerous injuries so when will this governmenfinish the job?

Clark Cross, Linlithgow

It’s time to can the bottle return scheme

The Scottish Government return deposit scheme for empty cans is now only fit for the bin as major drinks and brewing companies now describe the scheme as totally unworkable.

This latest Green Party-driven scheme has great potential for recycling and litter control but won’t work in the UK national distribution system unless it is adopted by the UK.

Green Party MSP Lorna Slater is confident the scheme will go ahead as the industry has been consulted but the industry tells a different story.

D Forbes Grattan, Aberdeen

UK inflation, as predicted, is falling

Inflation is a measure of prices for a basket of goods from the current month with the same basket of goods 12 months ago.

So, the comparison between January 2023-22 is between prices that have been inflated because of the Ukraine war and supply problems associated with the pandemic. Both inflationary bouts were due to external shocks and were bound to recede as the effects worked through the economy.

Inflation was always going to fall and has nothing to do with the UK Government’s interest rate hikes nor its cruel policy of refusing to give public sector workers pay rises in line with inflation.

And inflation, barring more external shocks, will continue to fall. The UK government will try to take credit for it, but don’t buy it for a second. Their only goal with their asinine policies is to crush public sector workers and destroy what’s left of UK public services.

Leah Gunn Barrett, Edinburgh

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