Today is the day – Tap On Tap Off
Edinburgh Trams begin a new payment system today integrating with Lothian Buses.
assengers will be able to hold their card or phone against the payment station on the platform and then do the same thing at the other end of the journey to complete payment.
Within the City Zone the payment will be a single standard adult fare. If a passenger makes additional journeys then there is a cap of £5 each day which is the cost of a City DAY ticket.
If you use the same method of payment for more journeys throughout the week then there is also a weekly cap of £24.50.
Any valid contactless enabled debit or credit card can be used, as well as Google & Apple Pay. Just look for the contactless symbol on your card.
You MUST tap off the tram to complete your journey, or the journey will be registered as incomplete, and you’ll be charged the full Airport Zone fare of £7.90. This will not be included in daily or weekly capping.
All the details of how to use the new payment system are here
Hibs and Hearts
Hibernian Women claimed their first SWPL title in 18 years thanks to a superb victory over Rangers at Ibrox. Read more here.
Hearts look certain to name their new manager today at a press conference this afternoon. Chief Executive of Hearts, Andrew McKinlay, confirmed that Liam Fox, who took over as the meanwhile manager after the departure of Neil Critchley, will be leaving Tynecastle at the end of the season. Mr McKinlay also said the team hoped to provide an update on the new head coach “soon”.
Look out for more news later as our Nigel Duncan will be attending the press conference.
Dalry Community Park
The graffiti in the newly completed Dalry Community Park has not yet been removed, despite assurances last month from the council.
Transport and Environment Convener, Councillor Stephen Jenkinson said then: “We’re aware of the graffiti and are arranging for it to be removed. We’re also looking at installing CCTV along various sections of the new route to protect the safety of users and help to mitigate against anti-social behaviour and vandalism.
“On a more positive note, we also plan to commission local artists in the near future to paint some murals along the route. This is an exciting project and should also help to deter against vandalism.”
Pride ban
Pride Edinburgh has banned any politicians from taking part in the parade next month.
The parade begins from Holyrood and progresses to The Meadows, and usually several politicians make speeches from the top of an open top Pride Bus outside The Scottish Parliament.
Now the organisers behind the Pride March have decided that politicians are no longer welcome.
The statement reads: “The organising team is alarmed by the ongoing rollback of protections and support for the transgender community, driven by those in power across both the Scottish and UK Governments and political parties.”
This follows the Supreme Court decision on the definition of a woman which is established by biological sex according to the decision handed down by Lord Hodge last month. He stressed that the law does protect transgender people against any discrimination in terms of the legislation, but some people have said that this ruling removes protection from transgender people.
For Women Scotland were successful in an appeal to the Supreme Court against the Scottish Government seeking a definition of a woman in terms of the Equality Act 2010.
The Equalities and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) has said that on an interim basis their guidance is that trans women (who are biological men) may not use any women’s facilities such as changing rooms or toilets.
Pride say that none of the political parties has stood up for transgender people to protect them, but politicians supportive of equality may personally join Pride, but there must be no speeches.
At Dovecot
Join art historian and journalist Susan Moore on 31 May 2025 for an enlightening talk on the artist, Anne Estelle Rice. Complementing Rice’s artwork on display in Scottish Colourists: Radical Perspectives, Moore’s talk explores Rice’s life in Paris, her artistic practice, and her complex romantic relationship with JD Fergusson. Her research for an upcoming monograph on Rice has revealed a radical woman artist whose work has often been misunderstood, undervalued, or forgotten.
Ticket price includes entry to the talk and The Scottish Colourists: Radical Perspectives.
Founding Editor of The Edinburgh Reporter.
Edinburgh-born multimedia journalist and iPhoneographer.
