I suppose it had to happen… The City of Edinburgh Council is to impose parking controls in Edinburgh City centre on Sundays although ‘only’ after 1.00 PM.

Is this another blow to the nicest city centre shopping in the UK? Certainly Prince’s Street has to be the most picturesque with only one side of the street (north side) having buildings with the south side of the street dominated by Edinburgh Castle and with the delightful Prince’s Street Gardens along the base of the huge volcanic ‘plug’ on which the castle sits.

Of course the public use of Edinburgh Trams starting tomorrow will solve all the traffic problems of the city including the politically motivated and deliberate creation of congestion by the narrowing of roads to vehicular traffic, widening pavements (side-walks), ‘interrupted phasing’ of traffic signals, introduction of high priced parking places with the imposition of blackmail fines for over-staying one’s paid for parking space – even just one minute.

The tram line, not a ‘network’ not a ‘system’ but merely a line that only goes from A to B! This tram line might be extended in future using private investment – thank goodness! If so that means I won’t be expected to pay any more taxes to pay for a politically imposed enormous White Elephant that I, nor the citizens of Edinburgh wanted,  – OR WILL I? Do my my fellow Edinburgers know anything about the future plans to extend the tram line? Do the council tax payers of Edinburgh know what any future plans will cost? Will any extension of the trams line be put to a vote of Edinburgh citizens? When will the long promised public enquiry take place? The unanswered questions go unanswered and will, no doubt, continue to remain unanswered until the local political elite get their way using Edinburgh citizen’s money…

For more information regarding the new, wonderful, people-transporting-problem-solving method of moving the citizens of Edinburgh to where they most want to go: Hospitals (NOT), the Central Railway Station (NOT),  the National Museum of Scotland (NOT) and the Scottish Botanical Gardens (NOT). For the latest on this see:

The Edinburgh Evening News

One can only guess as to the date when Sunday mornings are also subject to city centre parking charges. One can hear the argument now… ‘Well the citizens did not barricade the streets when we started milking them for even money to park their already hugely taxed vehicles on Sunday afternoons so they’ll not object when we impose a 24/7/ parking fine (sorry, fee!)