The Scottish Parliament has cleared legislation giving green lights to both lines of Edinburgh’s tram network, which could mean the first trams running by 2010.
The Line One Bill, allowing a 15.5km loop line on the north of the city, was approved, following a Scottish Parliament debate where MSPs tried to impose speed and noise limits on the trams.
MSPs put down a string of amendments seeking a 40mph limit and noise restrictions on Line One, but most – except to make the Bill say the promoter ‘shall’ rather than ‘may’ provide grants for insulating buildings – were rejected after Scottish transport minister, Tavish Scott, said the Bill already contained safeguards.
Edinburgh City Council leader, ~Donald Anderson~ was pleased at the result. ‘I hope everyone will now get behind our goal to make our city the most sustainable, successful city in northern Europe by 2020,’ he said.
Transport Initiatives Edinburgh aims to update the business case and submit it to the Scottish Executive in the autumn.
The Edinburgh Tram (Line Two) Bill allowing construction of an 18km section linking the centre and areas to the west – serving transport secretary, Alistair Darling’s constituency – gained MSPs’ approval last week.