Letters: Mud won’t stick despite exposing dirty tram deals

I WAS disgusted to read about the senior tram project staff who have been handed hundreds of thousands of pounds in bonuses (News, June 20).

The project has been a complete shambles, best reflected by the state the once beautiful city of Edinburgh has been in for years now, its centre and important routes scarred by unfinished work which has often been botched with repairs having to be made.

Far from being given bonuses, those at the helm while this catalogue of disaster was inflicted upon our city and its taxpayers by them should be banned from ever taking such positions again.

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And they will, of course, be offered such work again. You only have to look at the world of banking to see that, where disastrous leadership has been rewarded time and time again with a golden goodbye followed by a plum job offer from like-minded fatcats.

Integrity and public service clearly mean nothing any more, and unfortunately the mugs that pay their council tax and income tax are paying through the nose to keep this privileged bunch enjoying the high life.

A Morris, St Leonard’s Place, Edinburgh

Visitors will sea through charges

So East Lothian Council is trying to raise cash by charging visitors to park near popular beaches (News, June 21).

I have a couple of problems with this. First, families who work hard and keep to a budget would be fleeced by a council simply to pay for the hole left in the finances by incompetent predecessors. Ordinary people should not have to pay for the ineptitude of officials who were elected to represent them.

What’s more, East Lothian Council is making itself a less attractive option to visitors. Will visitors from outside the council area or even tourists from abroad be given a positive impression? Visitors from other council areas will vote with their feet by choosing other locations, while those from abroad will come away thinking the Scots are a greedy bunch who want to charge for what are, let’s face it, beaches which are not a patch on those found in popular European resorts.

If you want to charge, make sure you have something worth paying for.

Randall McLean, Portobello

Simple way to get rail on track

SARAH Boyack sets out her wish list for rail improvements in a party political statement that is quite hollow (News, June 20). These were the same things that we all wanted when she was minister for transport and didn’t manage to achieve.

Also, the growth in passenger numbers has nothing at all to do with “privatisation” of our railways – every other railway in Europe has had the same increase in the same period.

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Sarah Boyack talks of the “refranchising” . . . why does she and the government think that they have to refranchise it? We have an opportunity now to correct this crazy system and create Scotland’s Railways, owned by us. We already have a decentralised infrastructure company so we are on the way.

It is time for the Scottish Government to break away from the expensive, silly Westminster greed-inspired “privatised” railway .

I wish politicians would stop posturing and get on with what is obviously needing to be done.

R Smith, Banff Road, Keith

Put rapist next to judge or cop

We are continually reminded that the police are doing their best but because of financial constraints they are no longer able to provide the basic services expected by the public.

People mugged, robbed, attacked on our streets – no police on the beat no matter what they tell you about trying to protect front-line services.

Vandalism, housebreaking, car theft – police turn up eventually and on some occasions don’t even bother.

Yet when poor “terrified” Da Vinci Code rapist Robert Greens hits a panic alarm a couple of dozen police officers, two police vans and three police cars suddenly appear – where have they been hiding all this time?

Why not house Robert Greens next to the judge that sentenced him or one of the local council officials who housed him or the police divisional commander responsible for that area and see how quickly he gets moved out then.

Colin Wilkinson, Edinburgh

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