The City of Edinburgh Council’s Leader, Councillor Jenny Dawe, today expressed her delight at the decision of the Scottish Parliament to proceed with the Edinburgh tram scheme.

She said: “I am delighted that elected Parliamentarians have demonstrated such huge support for trams in Edinburgh. Trams will give the capital the vital tools to equip it for the future. This is now a brighter future where commuters, residents, businesses and visitors will enjoy quicker journeys, more investment in our city, more accessible public transport and cleaner air just as they do in many of our competitor cities .

Councillor Phil Wheeler, Executive Member for Transport agreed: ‘This is great news for everyone who moves about our capital. The absolute need for trams in Edinburgh has been demonstrated. Trams offer huge benefits in terms of capacity, reliability and our environment. Critically, without them there is no practical way to meet the growing demand for public transport along the booming Waterfront to Airport route.

‘Now we can get on with introducing trams without any further delay. The people involved are world-class experts with experience in delivering high quality light rail systems on time and budget. An independent audit has also confirmed that robust management and procedures are in place to deliver a successful tram scheme.’

Further information on Edinburgh’s tram scheme is available at www.tramsforedinburgh.com

The City of Edinburgh Council is the official promoter of the Edinburgh tram scheme. It is being delivered by tie, an arms-length company of the Council.

Source: City of Edinburgh Council, Wednesday, 27th June, 2007