The Tramspotting tram is now on track – but what about other tram advertising?
The tram with the eye-catching wrap has been on the rails for a couple of weeks now – have you spotted it?
The pink and white mobile ad encourages you to Choose the Tram for your travel and then publish a photo on social media with the hashtag #Tramspotting
Of course the trams were featured in the recently release T2 the follow up after 20 years to Trainspotting as you can see in the trailer:
Edinburgh Trams General Manager, Lea Harrison explained: “The wrapped tram will help promote the newly enhanced service pattern we introduced at the start of the year that now sees trams running from every 7 minutes throughout the day, including weekends.
“With our trams featuring in the new Trainspotting film, we thought we’d tie in with the excitement around its imminent release by using the ‘Tramspotting’ hashtag. It’d be great to see pictures on social media from customers who have spotted the special tram out on the system!”
SNP Councillor Steve Cardownie, the Depute Lord Provost, asked the council leader at the December council meeting about advertising on trams and what was being done about it.
Cardownie said: “The original proposal to wrap trams in advertising was deferred for the first year to allow the tram brand to become known. A motion was carried at Finance & Resources to award JCDecaux a twelve month trial at the end of which the tram advertising would go out to tender.
“That trial ended in February 2016.
“As I look out of the window here, as luck would have it, a tram is passing now, resplendent in its birthday suit. There is nothing on that tram. It must not have gone unnoticed by someone. As I understand it this morning there is no further report to Finance & Resources, neither has it asked for one, nor has it been presented with one.
“Officials must have known that something has gone amiss somewhere that even when the trial period has finished there is still not one tram that has advertising on it, therefore denying this council much-needed revenue just as we go through all the pain of the budget process.
“It is far too fanciful to suggest that officials have not briefed some elected members on the situation which we can all see with our own eyes.
“The question I have of the Leader is this: Is he satisfied with the record of the company which was entrusted with securing tram advertising, and if not, can we be told what steps are being taken to rectify this situation so that this council can get much-needed revenue from advertising on tram vehicles?”
The Council Leader explained that it is ‘part of a wider contract, and it is important to stress that.’ The council gets a minimum of £1.32million per annum through the contract with JCDecaux.
Councillor Burns added: “That is not just with trams but with bus shelter advertising and so on. So as an absolute minimum every year we are receiving £1.32million.
“In addition we do get 65% of net income of any project that the council develops with JCDecaux such as the wrapping of trams and advertising at tram stops. As councillors Perry and Lunn of the Development Management committee know the stops at Gogarburn and South Gyle were approved for tram stop advertising and we will get 65% of that which is of course additional to the £1.32m I have mentioned.
“But Councillor Cardownie does have a point as this could be more if there was additional advertising at stops and with tram wrapping. I know that the planning committee has approved some stops and refused others such as St Andrew Square but the planning officers are monitoring the development of tram wraps very closely and are in discussion with JCDecaux about the potential use of tram stops and wraps and if there is not any progress in that in the near future then we will have to review the contract in due course.”
Councillor Cardownie pressed the leader to offer a timescale but none was promised.
So we shall all have to keep our eyes and ears open to see the first proper advertising wraps on our trams! If you see one do let us know!
Founding Editor of The Edinburgh Reporter.
Edinburgh-born multimedia journalist and iPhoneographer.
