Tram bosses say sorry as garage loses £1,000

Published on Friday 13 November 2009 09:08

TRAM bosses have been forced to apologise to a garage owner after the last-minute cancellation of works cost him more than £1,000 in lost business.

Paul Loudon, who runs Advanced Autos in Saughton Mains Street, was given ten days' notice that nearby tram works would mean he would be without power on 4 November.

But tram firm TIE cancelled the work in the Carrick Knowe area just hours before it was due to go ahead, blaming employee sickness.

Mr Loudon, who had cancelled all bookings for the day, claims the late call-off of the works has left him around 1,000 out of pocket, with tram bosses refusing to compensate him for the loss.

He said: "It's all very well them being sorry, but I have lost more than 1,000. Things are tough at the moment and these days small businesses have to make every penny a prisoner.

"I spoke to TIE about compensation, but they're just not interested – it's not good enough."

Mr Loudon said he had spoken with Citizens Advice about receiving compensation and remained hopeful.

TIE said the work, which involved moving underground power cables, was now due to take place in January.

The tram firm said it was looking into the possibility of obtaining a power generator for the garage so that it would not lose a second day of business.

Mandy Haeburn-Little, director of customer services and communications for the tram project, said: "We can confirm that we were due to carry out works which would involve a temporary stoppage to the power supply.

"Unfortunately, due to unforeseen circumstances, the work had to be postponed.

"As soon as we became aware of this, we should have informed those who would have been affected. However, on this occasion this did not happen and we are currently looking into the reasons for this.

"We sincerely apologise for this situation having arisen and for any inconvenience."

Last month, the Evening News revealed that tram works in Carrick Knowe were running 13 months behind schedule.

The hold-up is understood to be caused by one of around 400 disputes between TIE and contractor Bilfinger Berger.

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