Edinburgh Trams has exceeded its performance targets in the first year of operation as the latest set of figures are released. The first set of annual accounts have been published and show that the services generated revenue of £6.4 million in the first seven months of operation – 3% higher than predicted in the business plan. Despite this apparent good news it is disappointing to have to report that the local media have jumped on any negativity they can find in the accounts.
As Edinburgh Trams launched at the end of May 2014 these accounts only cover seven months of operation and show that during this period almost three million passengers were carried (of course we know that in the first 12 months of operation it was nearly five million passengers carried).
One of the most key figures in the accounts is the amount of subsidy that the Council have had to give Edinburgh Trams to support the service. The original budget set this as £0.6 million in 2014 but because of strong performance only £0.45 million was needed. Now you would think that most people would see this saving – however small – as good news. Of course they wouldn’t! This is the 21st century which means some people can see a negative news story in everything happening and many local media sites have criticised this figure – even though it is better than was budgeted for! A budget which was well known about when the final decision was made to go-ahead with the trams and probably got all the same negativity from the same areas at that time as well.
Ian Craig, Chief Executive of Transport for Edinburgh, commented: “The Transport for Edinburgh Group has achieved much in its first year. Alongside successful performance at Lothian Buses, Edinburgh Trams can boast impressive passenger numbers and strong financial performance when compared against the business model. We are especially pleased with how reliable and efficient the trams have proved to be, and that they are so highly rated by our passengers. This is down to the hard work of everyone involved and is something the team can take great pride in.”
Cllr Lesley Hinds, Chair of Transport for Edinburgh, added: “Everyone across the Transport for Edinburgh Group is to be congratulated for delivering a hugely successful operation over 2014. Innovations and improvements have been introduced such as new websites, customer mobile apps and refurbished Travelshops – all enhancements to the experience of passengers. Lothian Buses, and now Edinburgh Trams too, sit at the heart of life in Edinburgh, moving people to where they need to be in their millions each week, and driving our economy. These services are essential to the success of the city and I’m pleased that we’re moving forward positively.
Edinburgh Trams has now been running for over 14 months and seems to be going from strength to strength with the route between York Place and Edinburgh Airport continuing to prove popular with both locals and tourists alike. Now all we need is for the Council to approve extensions along Leith Walk…
* The inquiry into the controversial gestation of the Edinburgh Trams project is set to call its first witnesses in the coming weeks but this has led to more controversy with the news that Edinburgh Council will be paying the legal bills of some of their former employees who were involved in the construction of the line. The inquiry is likely to go one for some time and will probably give the media another excuse to be hysterical about how evil the tram is. We will bring you irregular updates as and when anything interesting happens…
Three thousna passengers in 7 months seems to me to be at a similarvlevel to 5 million in 12 months, but no doubt the press would only see the 5 million and 3 million. As regards subsidy I wonder how much was paid for the bus services that the trams presumably replaced.
Negative press comments are always forthcoming because it is always easier to write a dismissive article than to do the necessary research to write a balanced analysis. Simplistic “yah, boo!” pieces that purport to expose some unseen scandal that “the public ought to know about” sells papers, and the journalists who write this stuff know they will never be held to account for their misrepresentations.
Why is “subsidy” used when referring to taxpayer support for transit but its called an “investment” when our taxes are consumed by highways, aviation, etc? Bottom line, all forms of transportation/ transit depend on government support or investment. In this regard, rail based modes are no different than the others.
For those that claim that since they do not use a rail/transit mode they should not have to support it – they have lost sight of the many indirect benefits of others using it, to include the de facto increase in highway and parking capacity, less tailpipe emissions, getting folks off the highways that have no business driving, safety, etc. Also, do not discount the benefit of providing good public transit for tourism. I have visited Scotland five times and with the one exception of a rental car for a few days when there were five of us and our itinerary included Appin and Islay, I have used trains, buses, ferries and hiking trails to travel Scotland.