Trams...

I've lived in cities with trams. They're very nice. However to suggest that trams are immune to traffic congestion is idiocy at best. The merest block on the line holds back the tram. I've actually been on a tram that hit a car turning across the tram track. It was a perfectly legitimate manouvere by the car, but the driver stopped for oncoming traffic and underestimated how long it would take the tram to stop. Collision! Only one winner too!

I've stepped of trams with tracks going down the middle of the road, only for car drivers to ignore the open doors and endanger our lives.

I've been stuck on trams going slower than walking speed due to traffic congestion, where the street was not broad enough that the tram track could be given a lane of it's own.

Don't get me wrong, they're very pleasant and a whole lot cleaner than the diesel fumes that pollute our cities, particularly where buses congregate, ie Union street in Glasgow, but to suggest that trams are some sort of panacea to our traffic problems is an utter nonsense. The politicking from Edinburgh and Labour on this issue is pathetic.

PS The claim that we have to continue because we've already spent £100m is a nonsense too, when not a single track has been laid. Where has the money been spent? Land & Surveys. Land can be sold to recoup outlay and the surveys should be worthy in their own right... otherwise, why were we paying for them in the first place?

Edinburgh's trams

Another day... more Labour carping!
They're determined to shove on with the wasteful tram system through in Edinburgh, whilst the rest of Scotland is made to wait for essential upgrades.

Today in the Scotsman, George Foulkes greets "They want it for dualling the A9. I've driven up the A9 - there are some parts of it where you don't see any cars for miles."

George may well be correct, but I wonder if it occurred to him at the parts
where he suddenly ran into a massive weight of traffic might have been due to the Italian campervan or Tesco Articulted lorry that was holding back the traffic for 10 miles on the single lane road.

We need upgraded infrastructure across the entire country, not some nice trams - which have more than enough disadvantages - for the privileged few who live in the capital.

Labour carping

Well, the Labour party are still struggling with the will of the Scottish people. Tony Blair is too busy on his farewell tour to bother to congratulate Scottish first Minister Salmond, whilst the Queen and Rev Iain Paisley have both managed to find the time... Gordon Brown finally picked up the phone after 2 weeks but the back benchers in Westminister feel they can hoot derision when the subject of how the devolved parliament interactions with Westminister is raised. Interesting times!!!

More locally the SNP have asked the Auditor General to investigate the projected costs of Edinburgh Tram and Airport Rail links. A perfectly sensible move given the history of Labour Lib Dem administrations previous project costings... Scottish parliament origally quoted at £40m, finished costing nearly £400m. Des McNulty, though, is "worried the Auditor General might be being brought in to find something that would justify SNP policy."

Is it just me? Of course that's what's happening Des. The whole country hopes that's what's happening. It makes perfect sense, given the appalling overspend on so many other projects... In fact, it's a surprise to me that it isn't standard practice for the Audotor general to go over all major projects... otherwise, what is his job??