Recent content by Leki

Not in 2014 they weren’t, when the last of the testing on the “previous buses” was stated to have been done.

That doesn’t appear to be what TfL were claiming. I could be wrong but my interpretation was the comparison was with existing (standard 2010s) diesel buses

TfL didn’t seem to agree with you in 2014 so is that just an opinion? Source

https://www.thecourier.co.uk/fp/news/politics/scottish-politics/284735/row-over-grant-to-firm-linked-with-snp-donor/ Maybe given that we're fortunate to have a genuinely UK based bus building industry that not only supports manufacturing jobs but also does its research and innovation here...

Bizarre attitudes on this thread as always. Trams have been running for nearly 3 years and the evidence of how well they're doing is out there. Anyone trying to discredit them with anecdotes or hearsay is just being daft. The council - including SNP members - agreed a package of enabling works...

As a local council tax payer I'd love for people to stop trying to twist these recent tram success stories into negatives. The fact that both bus and tram services are improving is nothing other than a good thing. The tram doesn't need to 'keep up' - operationally or economically - as it's...

You're not along in thinking that, but it would be structurally very very unlikely given the depth of concrete foundations (I think the UK uses double that of other countries). Also, then only buses were running over the rails which puts far less load on the foundations than the trams do. I...

I'm afraid there isn't a shred of truth in that. All that has ever been a problem with the trackbed is the top (rail depth) layer of surfacing, which only exists to allow the tracks to be overrun and has no structural purpose (in Edinburgh's system, anyway - other systems are different). This...

It was a more complex project from the outset, but would still have been reasonable cost if delivered on budget. Even though the media paint the final figure as some kind of country crippling amount, it's actually not that exciting in terms of overall public spending. And of course, the fact...

So I am. My agenda is simple (no, no one works for TfE). Transport in UK cities is generally terrible - the tolerance of private car congestion and over reliance on buses means that everyone suffers. Here, it will soon be quicker to get to Waverley from Tweedbank than Penicuik, for example. In...

If that's your experience then that's fair enough. I go through the city a lot, but obviously not as much as you. Part of the problem is the tram designs tried to keep too many people happy - cars shouldn't be on the East End of Princes St, for example. I didn't intend to imply that. I...

As a bus driver you surely find Shandwick Place much better now it's not the free for all that previously was? And the W Maitland St contraflow must improve west bound journey time? What hassle? You say that like congestion didn't exist before, which you know isn't true. Princes St still...

The 3 weeks was the hate club leaving a gap so that they didn't have to respond to the factual points made in support of the trams, particularly in the excellent posts by tbtc. With the dust settled on that discussion it's back to pub ranting from blindtraveller and khib70 who are back to...

I didn't say that either of you did discredit the route. The post I was referring to was the post above both of yours saying there was more deserving places in need of a railway. In the context of discussing Tweedbank as a poor choice of terminus, I picked up the points you made. However...

I'm local enough to be familar with the Borders obsession with 'ootsiders' :lol: But no, you're right - I now live at the other end of the line but I grew up in the Borders. Is that good enough to have an opinion on the route? :) In fairness, you haven't really refuted anything other than to...