Tram rip-off
As a regular tram user I am comforted to know that when travelling around a curve I am doing so on the finest vanadium alloy rail. What is less comforting is knowing I am doing so using a ticketing system designed to maximise revenue at the expense of tourists, the casual user and the unwary.
A ticketing system that doesn’t give change, or accept notes or new 10p coins, and has a 100 per cent surcharge for single ticket card payments, not to mention the 233 per cent surcharge for travelling one stop from Ingleston to the airport, is a finance director’s dream.
How much has been made by these methods is unknown, but until the end of October 2014 the trams did rake in £25,000 in fines – sorry, “standard fares” – from people enticed onto the trams with the promise of “ticketing assistance”.
So, while it is hoped the tram system will expand across the city I would hope the same engineering attention to detail is expanded to include passengers.
Paul Bancks
Saughton Gardens