Traders in the West End area of Edinburgh are saying that they have seen business pick up after a quiet start to the period of the closure of Shandwick Place – seemingly contrary to all the “fears” (helped in no small part to the local media) that there would be severe chaos and disruption due to the tram construction works.
Michael Apter, owner of Paper Tiger and chairman of the West End Association, said: “Despite predictions to the contrary, we haven't seen any chaos in this part of town. In fact I was walking around yesterday in the area and I was pleasantly surprised by how calm everything was. It's early days but we have been involved in the planning process from the start and there is every reason to believe that things are going to continue in a positive manner."
Joshua Miller, director of Charlie Miller and vice-chairman of the West End Association, added: “There are two things I've noticed since the work began. The first is how quickly people have adapted to the changes and the second is that there has been less traffic in the area. In fact so far everything has all gone very smoothly. This is despite scare-mongering to the contrary. I think we need to accept that there is going to be a certain amount of upheaval while the work goes on but we need to look at the bigger picture. We're delighted that there is going to be a tram stop in the West End. It can only be a good thing for the people in the area and it is in our best interests to support the tram company while the work is going on. It's too early to tell how things will pan out in the long run but in the meantime we need to be more positive."
Source: The Scotsman