Killing Trams for a guided busway Will Damage Edinburgh

10.29.00am BST (GMT +0100) Fri 1st Jun 2007

"The SNP have lost all credibility by suggesting a guided bus-way network as an alternative to Edinburgh's trams says Fred Mackintosh. "Guided bus-ways can lay the groundwork for off street sections of tramlines - Edinburgh's fastlink will become part of Line 2 - but there is just not enough land available in Edinburgh to create a network.

"The SNP busways would take even longer to build than Edinburgh's trams. New parliamentary powers would be needed to buy the land and operate the routes. If the Lib Dem led council is allowed to press ahead with trams the first ones will run in two and a half years time with full service by the end of 2010.

"The economic, business and environmental case for Edinburgh's trams has been made. If our city is to remain successful when compared to its competitors across Europe it needs this investment in real public transport alternatives to the car. Only an integrated tram and bus network run for the benefit of the city can deliver the changes our city needs.

"The SNP are always saying they want to model Scotland on Ireland. If trams are good enough for Dublin they are certainly good enough for Edinburgh."

Until he stood down from the City of Edinburgh Council in May 2007 Fred Mackintosh was a director of Transport Edinburgh Limited - Edinburgh's Tram Company.