Tracy Gilbert, Labour MP for Edinburgh North and Leith has called upon councillors on the Transport and Environment Committee to think again before binning the northern part of the tramline.
As the local representative whose constituents will be most affected by this decision, she wrote to them this week. Ms Gilbert said that if the tram is prioritised for the southern part of the city it will “entrench the inequality and poverty experienced by too many in Granton, Muirhouse and Pilton. Such a decision would be based on political will, not the facts.”
She said that the recent loss of trams to Leith has only underscored the need for the mass transit option to help people get to work in other areas of the city more easily.
Pointing to the development at Granton Waterfront, including the multi million development at the Art Works, the MP says the tram is essential to helping the public transport network cope with increase in demand. And she repeats what many who are making deputations to the committee today have highlighted – “a number of the developments in this area have been made on the understanding over the last decades that the tram network would extend to Granton in one form or another”.
She encourages councillors to take an ambitious decision for the areas in the north as well as for the whole of Edinburgh, and instead reflect on the 30 years of support for the tram route to the north.
Tracy Gilbert MP said: “In part of my constituency the economic and social benefits of the trams are realised every day.
“That lived experience and the Strategic Business Case being considered by
the Council’s Transport and Environment Committee this week makes the strong case
for investment in both the South and North to spread these benefits further.
Trams to Granton would directly serve three of the 5% most deprived communities in
Scotland and six of the 10% most deprived. We are talking about communities that
already face significant inequalities, where access to reliable, affordable public
transport can open opportunities for training education and employment.
“That is why I have written to councillors ahead of this week’s committee meeting. I am
very clear that a failure to realise the ambition of the trams that has been shared by a
number of political parties over the last three decades will entrench inequality and
poverty in Granton, Pilton and Muirhouse.
“I hope that Councillors will make the ambitious decision this week. Either way I will
continue making the case for the strategic investment needed in Granton, Muirhouse
and Pilton because our communities deserve better.”
The Transport Committee meets on Thursday at 10am. Watch online here.
