Council to look at free services on Edinburgh Trams for launch

Councillors from the City of Edinburgh Council have agreed to look at the possibility of running free services when the tramway starts operation next year following requests from businesses in the City Centre who feel they have been blighted by years of disruption caused by the construction of the line.

The request from local businesses is for several weeks of free services into the City Centre which seems pretty unlikely but it would not be unheard of for a few days of free services when operations do commence in 2014 – it all depends on whether the Council feel it is appropriate (and it may well be some much needed good PR for the line).

Throughout the construction of Edinburgh Trams businesses across the City have blamed the disruption caused by the work for the problems they are suffering with several going out of business. However it should also be noted that we are currently in the midst of a recession with most towns and cities across the UK seeing businesses suffer and they are, alas, not having tramways built.

In other news from Edinburgh it has been reported that Councillors are being asked to approve a plan to allow key figures in the tram project – including the Transport Convener, Lesley Hinds, and her deputy – to go on a tour of the UK and Ireland visiting tramways to see what lessons can be learned on how to run a tramway. It is planned that Manchester, Nottingham and Dublin would be included in the trip which would likely take place in March and April of this year.

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