Stop trams before system becomes a fiasco

I AGREE with the head of the Chamber of Commerce for Edinburgh that the costing for a depleted tram service in Edinburgh should be fully investigated (News, October 15).

We are looking at least four years of roads upheaval and ancillary works, extra tram-only traffic signals etc.

The main objective should have been a rapid transit system originating from Waverley Station with a bus interchange (Sunderland has achieved this).

A wonderful opportunity has been missed by the council building on a site that could and should have been a central bus station adjacent to Waverley.

What do we have instead? Buses in and around St Andrew Square, Waterloo Place and Waverley Bridge.

Why do the powers that be think that having trams will increase public usage? The bus service at the moment drops off considerably after 6.30pm, the trams will have the same problem.

Stop now before you get the people of Edinburgh involved in another monetary fiasco. By the way, Edinburgh already has a tram service - it runs under the name bus service 22!

Harry Donkin Dryburn Brae, West Linton