[QUOTE=gavintc;1053187]...... d most people would rather the status quo was maintained. If pushed, people would admit that the money would be better spent on the generally good bus network
Please Sir! Me Sir! I'm Edinburgh Public & I'm in favour of trams.
The council are numpties. Yes. TIE are incompetent -Absolutely. The route isn't the best. Obviously not.
But these are complaints about implementation, not the concept of bringing back trams. The real villlains of the piece are the council of 1952.
We can't keep running diesel busses forever -trams offer a choice of power from whichever clean source takes your fancy. There might have been an argument for trolleybusses, but rails are more efficient than tyres. And last a very long time -the money isn't comparable with just buying more new busses abd fuel. The initial line won't make enough money to repay the investment in a few years, any more than the M8 does, but it's a start. If trams carry bikes, it may well increase cycling in the city, as ordinary pootlers will be able to cycle slowly for short distances at each end of their journey, whereas now they get a sucession of busses door-door.
The issue of cyclist and the tram is simply an element of a highly sceptical public regarding the introduction of a solution looking for a problem.[/QUOTE]
The 'issue of cyclist & the tram' is a bit of manufactured publicity by people who are peed off about losing the argument. It makes Edinburgh cyclists look ridiculous.