Letters: Hard figures are needed in bid to address tram fiasco

Having concluded that building the tram line only to Haymarket "would not be financially viable", TIE expects us to believe building it to York Place, then tearing up the contract with Bilfinger Berger and appointing a new contractor to complete the lines somehow is financially viable.

What we need immediately are hard figures, independently prepared, as to what this option would cost. If 545 million is, indeed, insufficient to build the line to Haymarket, then how much more would be required to build it to York Place?

Any tearing up of the contract would probably trigger immediate litigation by the contractors and land the city in an extremely lengthy court action which, given the average of adjudications, suggests the city will lose. Would Edinburgh City Council not be liable to pay not only its own astronomical legal costs, but those of Bilfinger Berger as well?

Meanwhile, the consequent years of delay will have increased construction costs to such a level that it is unlikely any new contractor would agree to complete the works for an acceptable sum. It is little wonder that this is TIE's preferred option because it is the one which they feel would best guarantee their own future!

Perhaps TIE and our "City Fathers" can bring themselves to tell us what this, their preferred option would realistically cost. I have no doubt that it will make the current 90m council funding shortfall look paltry by comparison, so perhaps we could hear from an independent expert what the third, apparently, unmentionable option would cost: to cancel the tram project?

Ron Hastie, Silverknowes Neuk, Edinburgh

Strong case for 20mph city limit

THE council is to be congratulated on extending 20mph further across the city (20/20 vision to slow down city motorists, News, September 3)).

The principle of using 20mph limits to slow traffic naturally is well established in Portsmouth and Oxford where early indications are of a cut in speeds and accidents.

Children from deprived areas are five times more likely to be killed in a road crash and every injury crash in built-up areas costs an estimated 20,000, up to nearly 2 million if there is a fatality, so there is a strong financial and moral case for this step, as well as the health and environmental benefits from creating safer, more attractive and enjoyable streets for all.

Keith Irving, Living Streets Scotland manager, Rose Street, Edinburgh

Speed restriction just a distraction

WHAT an interesting concept being proposed by the council transport leader Gordon Mackenzie, a 20mph blanket speed limit. I trust this is to be applied to the new tram system?

This would at least ensure that the trams with their metal on metal braking system, which has the worst stopping distance of any public transport system, would be very much safer when eventually introduced.

But I wonder if this is not just a headline-grabbing tactic from someone who knows he is under enormous pressure with the disastrous and failing tram project?

Allan Alstead, Moray Place, Edinburgh

The high cost of staying sober

ON Friday night I arranged to meet a friend in a city centre pub to watch the Scotland football game.

Since I arrived early I just ordered a fresh orange and lemonade for myself as I've given up the beer for now but was stunned when the barmaid said "2.80 please" for this half pint of juice. Asking why this soft drink was so expensive I was told "the small orange bottle is 2.20 and the lemonade dash is 60p".

Now, we've seen so much on the news recently about Scots drinking too much but I would have been cheaper drinking half pints of beer all night (around 1.60) saving more than a quid a drink. Maybe I should stay on the booze until the recession's over and I can afford to stay sober!

Stevie Williams, Fountainbridge, Edinburgh