‘We will again be watching carefully’

ENFORCING Edinburgh’s bus lanes by fining selfish motorists who do not obey the rules should be supported.

Of course, as we know from bitter experience, if this is not done in a fair and transparent manner then support quickly evaporates.

Lessons have been learned from the controversy over the cameras when they first went live last year – a debacle which saw fines quashed and one camera scrapped altogether.

It was one of the first acts of the new council administration to order an immediate review into what went wrong.

And today we report how two new sites are about to go “live” - issuing fines 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

We will again be watching carefully what happens out at the Jewel and on Prestonfield Road when the cameras start flashing.

Sending motorists warning letters in the run-up to the fines being introduced has certainly been a sensible measure and, after what happened last time, it will be difficult for any regular commuters to claim they were not aware of the rules.

Provided the fines are only issued to those who are genuinely breaking the rules, and the enforcement has the effect of speeding up bus journey times without simply creating a traffic gridlock nightmare for everyone else, then it should be welcomed.

However, the operation of the lanes must again be closely monitored and any sign of problems quickly addressed.

No-one should complain if bus lane cheaters are punished.

But we must continue to make sure we are not simply replacing one unfair practice for another.

Quest for the truth

THE decision by the city council to appoint an independent person to oversee further inquiries into the scandal at Mortonhall Crematorium is to be welcomed.

The Evening News’ revelation that the ashes of some babies who were stillborn or died after only a few days were secretly buried while parents were told the cremation process left no remains has been devastating for the families.

But the scandal is not the making of the current administration, which has done its best to get to the bottom of the situation. The initial inquiries, led by Mike Rosendale, suggest the practice may be more widespread.

The council has done the right thing, first by bringing in auditors and now by appointing an independent person. These latest moves should reassure parents that the inquiry will uncover the truth.