Improve the Bus - Capital Idea!
Earlier this week you may have noticed that Kenny MacAskill MSP and Cllr Steve Cardownie launched the SNP’s latest policy for the Capital. When we form the Scottish Executive after the 2007 election we will create a £4m per annum Capital Bus Route Development fund. The fund would allow bus operators in the Edinburgh City-Region to bid for funds to secure the future of the bus service, enhance the frequency of current services and to develop new routes.
When they launched the policy on Tuesday Kenny said that “The cost of the proposed tram scheme is over half a billion pounds and rising. The trams would only cover a fraction of the city and would potentially threaten the future of Edinburgh’s award winning bus service. In the SNP we believe its time to secure, enhance and develop our Capital city’s bus services. That’s why an SNP Executive is committed to introducing the ‘Capital city bus route development scheme’ which at £4m per annum would cost just a fraction of the extortionate tram scheme and could potentially benefit the whole of the city. It delivers much more for far less. In terms of bangs for bucks its must be buses not trams”.
Steve, Edinburgh’s Deputy Lord Provost, commented that “Folk in Edinburgh are sick and tired of seeing their tax money being splurged on spin, costly consultants, and PR men for the trams. Rather than fritter away over £700m on trams which will just undermine our current bus network we think its time to back what works. £4m per annum for the development of buses routes in Edinburgh would allow for two existing routes, every year, to be increased in frequency to 5 minute intervals. That’s two routes a year becoming as frequent as the 22. These improvements can be made for just £4m a year – its clear that a little can go a long way”.
There was an article on the policy in Tuesday’s Evening News.
When they launched the policy on Tuesday Kenny said that “The cost of the proposed tram scheme is over half a billion pounds and rising. The trams would only cover a fraction of the city and would potentially threaten the future of Edinburgh’s award winning bus service. In the SNP we believe its time to secure, enhance and develop our Capital city’s bus services. That’s why an SNP Executive is committed to introducing the ‘Capital city bus route development scheme’ which at £4m per annum would cost just a fraction of the extortionate tram scheme and could potentially benefit the whole of the city. It delivers much more for far less. In terms of bangs for bucks its must be buses not trams”.
Steve, Edinburgh’s Deputy Lord Provost, commented that “Folk in Edinburgh are sick and tired of seeing their tax money being splurged on spin, costly consultants, and PR men for the trams. Rather than fritter away over £700m on trams which will just undermine our current bus network we think its time to back what works. £4m per annum for the development of buses routes in Edinburgh would allow for two existing routes, every year, to be increased in frequency to 5 minute intervals. That’s two routes a year becoming as frequent as the 22. These improvements can be made for just £4m a year – its clear that a little can go a long way”.There was an article on the policy in Tuesday’s Evening News.
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