Letters: Hypocrisy in the air over charges

Published on Wednesday 4 August 2010 15:10

THE tram project in Edinburgh should be scrapped as it is going to be way over budget and very few people in the city want it.

As usual the people in charge have no thoughts about people with difficulties in getting about or finding stops because of a sight problem.

Also, as the trams will be in the middle of the road this will mean people having to get to or from the trams over part of the road that cars and bikes are on. I believe when the tram stops there will be a crossing signal, but all it takes is for the lights not to work or a drunk or careless driver and we could have a bad accident.

I believe also when the line will go along towards Ratho it will run alongside the railway - no help to the people of Corstorphine, Dalry or Gorgie.

If they go ahead and finish this project we should have the trams painted white and named after different elephants, such as Nellie and Dumbo.

At Christmas and New Year we could put fairy lights on them to help brighten up the city. Pity we could not do the same for the councillors.

Douglas Tait, Stevenson Road, Edinburgh

Hypocrisy in the air over charges

THERE is more than a little irony in the opposition by Lothian MSPs Gavin Brown and Margaret Smith to drop-off charges at Edinburgh Airport (News, July 28).

The Coalition Government which comprises their parties is proposing to reform Air Passenger Duty and replace it with a "per plane levy", meaning airlines would be charged per plane in order to incentivise them to fly with full aircraft.

Airlines are already struggling to deal with record fuel prices and, while initially this policy may appear to remove a financial burden directly from passengers, ultimately the airlines will still need to manage this cost so it will inadvertently be passed on to consumers. And as the proposal is to dramatically increase Air Passenger Duty later on this year, whether it is replaced or not it will still see a huge airport tax rise on everyone using a Scottish airport.

In addition, a per plane tax is likely to have an impact on certain flights from Scottish airports where routes may be cut as planes are not filled, and it is also likely to be environmentally and economically damaging as there is a financial incentive for customers to fly via continental hubs rather than through UK airports in order to avoid increased taxation.

Conservative and Liberal Democrat MSPs should be lobbying their Westminster colleagues to prevent the implementation of this potentially damaging measure on Scottish flights.

Alex Orr, Leamington Terrace, Edinburgh

Sounding off on Jazz Fest discord

I WAS saddened and deeply disappointed at the demise of Jazz on a Summer's Day, an event anticipated and enjoyed by people of all ages.

To try to replace this long-standing event with a paying venue and relocation to the Grassmarket with Jazz Al Fresco is ludicrous.

I understand that money is always required to run the Edinburgh Jazz and Blues Festival, but surely there are plenty of green spaces in Edinburgh where they could have erected their Spiegeltent rather than Princes Street Gardens.

I would imagine that Sir Tom Farmer, who invariably attended at Princes Street Gardens, will be disappointed, as will the children connected to the charity he sponsored and the crowds of people who invariably donated.

M Melville, Westerbroom Terrace, Edinburgh

Thanks for great care at Western

AS a grateful patient who has just left the Western General Hospital, I should like to thank the Regional Infectious Diseases Unit for the excellent care and attention that they gave me.

I should also like to thank Ward 43 doctors, nurses and other attendants who helped my recovery and got me back on my feet. And the food was good too.

John W Taylor, Oxgang Farm Terrace, Edinburgh