Tap on Tap Off
This is possibly the news all tram passengers have been waiting for.
Passengers will SOON be able to use contactless cards and devices for payment from now on – and there will be daily and weekly limits on the amount you have to spend.
The system will also work seamlessly with Lothian Buses.
Like the contactless payments already accepted in the city by Lothian Buses, the new system calculates the cheapest fare based on the number of journeys made and then debits the card in the early hours of the following morning. There is also a weekly cap based on the number of trips taken over a seven-day, Monday to Sunday, period. These caps will work in conjunction with the bus operator, meaning that caps will apply across Lothian Buses and Edinburgh Trams services, ensuring that customers no longer need to purchase a day ticket from the bus driver, or the tram stop ticket machine.
Unlike buses, however, when using the tram, customers will need to ‘tap off’ using the platform validator when they reach their destination as the network is split into two fare zones. This makes sure they will only pay for travel on sections of the tramway they have actually used.
Lea Harrison, Edinburgh Trams’ Managing Director, said: “Following the successful launch of services to Newhaven in 2023, we’re continuing to invest in technology to make trams an even more attractive proposition for both residents and visitors.
“This has included the replacement of 10-year-old tram stop validators to enable contactless cards to be securely accepted, and new hand-held devices for our staff to check that customers have ‘tapped on’ before boarding.
“The cutting-edge technology requires extensive testing before it becomes fully operational, but we are now just weeks away from it being rolled out across the network.
“When the system goes live, it will mark another milestone for Edinburgh Trams, the city, and its world-class public transport network.”
Portobello Petition
Following an incident at the weekend which resulted in three teenagers going to hospital after a reported stabbing, the residents say they have had enough.
They have set up a petition and encourage other locals to sign it.
Police Scotland has said that a 21-year-old man has been arrested and charged following the weekend’s disturbance.
A spokesperson said that around 10.55pm on Saturday, 12 April, 2025, police were called to Bath Street and Mentone Avenue. Three males, one aged 17 and two aged 18, were taken to the Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh for treatment.
The 21-year-old man is due to appear at Edinburgh Sheriff Court on Tuesday, 15 April, 2025.
A report will be sent to the Procurator Fiscal and enquiries are ongoing.
The petition states: “We, the residents, visitors, and friends of Portobello, are deeply concerned about the rising levels of violence and anti-social behaviour on and around Portobello Promenade – particularly during school holiday evenings.
“The recent stabbing of three teenagers on Saturday night is a tragic and alarming sign that the current situation is unacceptable and dangerous. Residents no longer feel safe walking the Promenade after dark, and the atmosphere on holiday evenings has become increasingly threatening.
“We call on Police Scotland, Edinburgh City Council, and our elected representatives to act immediately by:
1.Deploying a visible and increased police presence during school holiday evenings and weekends.
2.Improving the maintenance of public toilets and facilities to meet the needs of the many visitors to the area.
3.Engaging directly with residents and community groups to shape long-term solutions for public safety and youth support.
“Portobello is a much-loved part of Edinburgh, and its Promenade should be a safe and welcoming place for all. Please help us protect our community.”
Leith Rotary charity concert
The Rotary Club of Leith are holding a Charity Concert on 16 May at Inverleith St Serf’s Church, 280 Ferry Road EH5 3NP. Singers will include Lothian Gaelic Choir, Newhaven Community Choir, Edinburgh Ukrainian Choir Oberih, and the Songbirds.
All funds raised will be used to support victims of conflict in Ukraine and Gaza.
Covid Art Trail
A Covid memorial art trail titled Remembering Together has been installed in Wardie Bay. The project was funded by The Scottish Government and Greenspace Scotland as part of a national effort to show the impact of the pandemic all over Scotland.
Local organisations and artists collaborated to create unique memorials capturing people’s experiences.
Artist Skye Lonergan supported by Artlink and The City of Edinburgh Council has created the trail around Granton Western Breakwater at Wardie Jetty and McKelvie Parade.
Ms Lonergan said: “Processing loss is so important. Covid often kept us (and still keeps many of us), at a distance with those we loved and might have been losing, or parts of ourselves we lost, or something and somewhere we love and might be unable to reach.
“This project deliberately seeks to work with people whose experiences are often excluded and I am always interested in how we can nurture our collective sanity, together, our interconnected well-being, through the huge diversity of life experiences that make up what is.”
The art trail at McKelvie Parade is a combination of several interventions along the route that arouse curiosity and invite those using the space to pause and be present. Art pieces have been created to reflect the tidal flow of the pandemic and include Leith West breakwater stones inscribed with words people told artists they would gift themselves if there were another pandemic (cash, giggles, music). The trail is book-ended by halved stone boulders placed apart and includes a smoothed patch of stone seawall with the invitation ‘Lean on me’, poetry at the entrance to the Bay, a Someone Missing bench co-created with a wheelchair user who described feeling held if there were grooves in the pavement, and a Something Missing Half with 2m distanced Stone seed. The trail includes twin milestone plaques that describe Time as a Feeling, and Distance as a relationship to friends and family.
Have you been to see it? Do send us some photos if you have.
Edinburgh Science Festival continues this week to explore Spaceship Earth.
The festival finishes on 20 April.
A Climate of Truth (15 April)
We have all the technology we need to live better than ever before, and yet humanity is still accelerating into a climate emergency. Sustainability expert, Prof Mike Berners-Lee looks at the challenge from new angles, and reveals how the need for radically higher standards of honesty in our politics, media, and business is the single most critical point of leverage for those seeking change. Berners-Lee shows what all of us can do to be part of the evolution that humanity so urgently needs to deal with the polycrisis.
Seven Deadly Sins (16 April)
Gluttony. Greed. Sloth. Pride. Envy. Lust. Anger. Do these sins really represent moral failings, or are they simply important and useful human functions that aid us? Professor of neurology, Guy Leschziner reveals the hidden science and humanity behind our so-called flaws and follies.
Mission Bake: From Bake Off to Blast Off (18 April)
Are you ready to see some “out-of-this-world” treats? Join scientist and Great British Bake Off finalist Josh Smalley as he showcases the wonders of space through the art of baking, with edible meteorites and macaron planets. Plus, space expert Dhara Patel from the National Space Centre will be bringing real meteorites to the show!
Josh Smalley also joins the Festival for The Easter Baking Show, also on 18 April.
Memory Lane: the Perfectly Imperfect Ways We Remember (18 April)
We often think our impressions of the past remain preserved somewhere inside our brains. In fact, we reconstruct our memories every time we try to recall them. But a faulty memory isn’t always a bad thing…Explore the cutting-edge science of human memory, the ethical implications of memory manipulation and the pitfalls of false recollections. Psychologists Ciara Greene and Gillian Murphy reveal the surprising benefits of a flexible memory system and explain why no two trips down memory lane are ever quite the same.
The Chemistry of Star Wars (20 April)
In a galaxy far, far away, there is a Star Wars universe packed with captivating science, from the biology of alien species to the astrophysics of hyperspace. But what about Chemistry? Join Alex Baker, a chemist from the University of Warwick, as he explores the freezing of Han Solo, the colours of lightsabers, the reactions that power star ships and much more.
DiscoveryLab (Running until 19 April)
Visit the Festival’s reimagined flagship family experience at City Art Centre and explore five floors packed with hands-on activities designed for all the family to get involved in. Children aged 5–11 can also book entry to one premium workshop including Splat-tastic, CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, and Wild Vets.
To view the full programme, visit: https://www.edinburghscience.co.uk/festival/whats-on/
Founding Editor of The Edinburgh Reporter.
Edinburgh-born multimedia journalist and iPhoneographer.
