The City of Edinburgh Council are planning to create a new organisation to integrate tram and bus services in the capital. Initially Transport for Edinburgh will be used to integrate these services but in the long run it is planned that it will be responsible to implement the Council’s wider transport vision. At the same time as the formation of this new organisation it has been confirmed that the operators of the bus and tram services will be Lothian Buses and Edinburgh Trams.
Cllr Lesley Hinds, Transport Convener on the Council, said: “Edinburgh’s new tram service is fast approaching and we’re developing the service in a way that fully complements our award winning bus service. What I’d like to see in the longer term is a publicly run transport organisation that can implement transport strategy in a fully integrated way to the benefit of everyone who wants to get around the city. This is the perfect time to start to look beyond the tram launch and to develop a new approach to transport in Edinburgh. With their existing knowledge and expertise Lothian Buses is very well placed to thrive with the tram and I’m very pleased that we’re working in partnership with them. The tram and bus services will be fully integrated with tickets and timetabling delivered through one system to make journeys easier. Any profit made will go back into Edinburgh’s transport system. Our first priority is to get trams up and running. There is much work to be done on the development of Transport for Edinburgh and, at an appropriate time, we’ll launch the new brand and develop in a way that places a focus on integrating and improving all modes of transport available in Edinburgh. We’re looking closely at other transport systems as we do this but the priority of course is to develop something that works best for Edinburgh.”
A report is due to be presented to a full Council meeting next week which will give full details of the new organisation. What has already been confirmed is that a new company structure and financial model will be introduced which incorporates Lothian Buses and Edinburgh Trams into an arrangement where both companies will report to Transport for Edinburgh. A 15 year financial model shows a positive outlook with a forecast profit of £3.7 million over the period with an operating surplus in the fourth year of operations. On its own the tram is expected to run with a £42 million operating surplus.
Another report will be presented to the Council in September which will include an updated target programme and confirmation that it remains within the revised budget. Reports in the local media this week have suggested that their previous guesswork that part of the line could open before Christmas are likely to be unachievable following recent remedial work required on the concrete surfaces.
* Some further official images of the latest progress on the project have just been released on the City of Edinburgh Council website. They can be found at http://www.edinburgh.gov.uk/galleries/20085/trams.