Labour councillor breaches party policy to slam trams scheme

Published on Wednesday 26 December 2007 09:54

LABOUR councillor Eric Barry has branded Edinburgh's trams scheme a "substitute bus service".

The Colinton/Fairmilehead councillor broke ranks with his party colleagues to criticise the controversial 498 million project. At a council meeting to discuss the final business case for trams, Councillor Barry said: "We are getting so little for all this money.

"It's our own fault for setting our sights too low. For some reason, we are too afraid to go back to Holyrood and ask for more money."

Despite goading from the SNP bench, Cllr Barry voted to approve the business case – because "the alternative is to do nothing".

But he was also scathing of tram firm TIE, which he accused of producing "misleading artists' impressions" and failing properly to publicise the major effect trams will have on other traffic.

He predicted: "Bus fares are going to continue to increase every year above inflation to cover the cost of running the trams."