Transport farce

I REALISE the words “public transport” and “City of Edinburgh” do not sit well in the same sentence, but let’s leave the trams at peace for a moment.

The buses, too, would drive a person to despair. As a visitor to the Festival staying at Bruntsfield, I, more often than not, gave up waiting for the bus and walked to my destination. And where were the destinations?

Might it not be a good idea to have signposts around the city centre, pointing to places of interests, as they do in other big cities. The place filled to capacity with thick-walleted tourists, scratching their heads in dismay as they tired of waiting for buses, then unable to find their venues, should surely be a sight unfavourable to the council. Yet still the legions pour in.

The Fringe Box Office administrators should be put in charge of Edinburgh’s public transport system. Tight, efficient – what a joy. A lesson here for some who require it.

William MacFarlane

Coldharbour Lane

London

IT IS (almost) incredible to read that there are councillors who apparently believe that council taxpayers will be willing to burden themselves and future generations with more debt in order to further extend an unwanted tramway.

The money spent to date has gone and cannot be recovered. Instead of pouring good money after bad, the priority now should be to cancel the existing contract and apply such funds as are available to improving the roads, especially where kerbside potholes are currently shaking our excellent buses and their occupants to pieces.

Brian Mayes

Clermiston Road Edinburgh