Letters: Tram project compares well to soaring cost of M74 work

The real question you and your readers should be asking is this: Why is it that the Parliament seeks to cap funding to a public transport project in Edinburgh when less than 50 miles away in Glasgow a new motorway is receiving unlimited government funds, despite being nearly three times over the original budget?

The five-mile extension of the M74 motorway was costed at 245 million when approved by the then Transport Minister Sarah Boyack.

A subsequent public inquiry concluded that: "the new road would generate more traffic, worsen social exclusion, increase pollution and create no jobs".

In spite of this the road was approved. It is still under construction with the current estimated cost approaching 700m.

Now that smacks of double standards and a failure to support Scotland's capital.

Certain local politicians might have more credibility if they stopped knocking Edinburgh and gave us some true comparisons with other transport projects.

Paul Tetlaw, chair, Transform Scotland, Rose Street, Edinburgh

Time to tackle big store drink prices

HOW refreshing to read the article "You can stick that in your pipe and smoke it" (News, 11 March). Brian Monteith clearly lives in the real world and has a very real grip on the damage that the Scottish Parliament and its poorly thought out strategies have done to the licensed trade – nothing short of annihilation.

As a result of the smoking ban, new legislation and Parliament's clear lack of willingness to tackle the supermarket pricing, pubs and clubs are closing in greater numbers than anyone could have expected.

If their aim really was to cut down on binge drinking, surely even the most blinkered of MSPs can identify that the promotions and offers in the supermarkets have to stop.

Someone with a 20 budget for a night in a pub or club can purchase 10-15 nips. The same 20 can buy two litre bottles of quality spirits in the supermarkets, giving them the equivalent of 40 pub measures.

Of course, people tend not to have optics in their homes, meaning that measures tend to be rather more generous when poured freehand. And that helps the problem of binge drinking? I think not.

Clearly, the MSPs will never admit their mistakes when it comes to the smoking ban and new legislation but they still have the opportunity to tackle the supermarkets head on and stop them operating in complete contravention to the aim of the new legislation.

Sheila Fraser, Beveridge Close, Dalkeith

Supermarket sweep threatening Capital

GAVIN Fleming is right to point to the downside of the endless supermarket sweep which threatens to devour Edinburgh (Interactive, 11 March).

For every large store that opens it is estimated that over two hundred full-time jobs are lost. Since most supermarket jobs are part-time and low paid, this results in a loss of better paid employment in the community.

Supermarkets also tend to concentrate on selling processed food rather than fresh healthy produce and therefore contribute to obesity and health problems.

The council has the power to stop this madness and protect local businesses. Isn't it time it did so?

Sophie L Anderson, Marchmont Road, Edinburgh

Now take a look at Princes Street

IT IS good to know that the council has recognised that there should be a better variety of shops on the Royal Mile (News, 10 March).

Now perhaps the council could study Princes Street. As well as the same shops that appear in every city we have seven mobile phone shops, as well as a "tartan tat" shop and several empty premises.

Is this what tourists want to see? Perhaps they might be too busy watching the trams passing whilst they try to take photos of the castle between the posts and overhead wire.

Joan Wightman, Kingsknowe Road South, Edinburgh

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