19.02.13
Edinburgh trams could waive fares for first weeks
Edinburgh council leaders are considering running free services in the weeks following the launch of the city’s problem-plagued tram system.
The move could help introduce passengers to the route and boost business in the city.
Michael Apter, chairman of the West End Association, which proposed the measure, said: “It’s crucial that the council invests the resources and the money to get people back into the city centre, and that means high profile campaigns and free use of the trams immediately after its launch.
“Shoppers have long turned to out of town shopping centres due to the disruption and we need to encourage them to shop in the city again.”
Cllr Lesley Hinds said: “My priority is to get it on the project delivered on the revised timetable and on budget, but we will look at all suggestions which come forward.
“We are however already looking at the experience of other cities, particularly Dublin, where they have started a new scheme with free use for children accompanied by adults, which has been hugely successful.”
Passenger services on the £776m project are due to begin in summer 2014.
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