Edinburgh SAYS NO!

[Monsta Mo Mini]

Thankfully common sense has prevailed and the population of Edinburgh have given a big finger to Professor Begg and his anti-car zealots in the city council. Let the heads start to roll and justify the £9 million of tax payers money wasted on this fiasco!

75% voted against and a handful of beardies and some students who won't even be living here in 2006 voted in favour of congestion charging.

[duncan]

A big turn out, and a decisive majority, you cant argue with the result.

What is Edinburgh City Council going to do now, if anything?

[Monsta Mo Mini]

They could start by actually improving the existing public transport and make it a viable alternative.

The subject of congestion charging is now off the agenda for the foreseeable future.

[duncan]

Totally agree, however I can see many a problem with that.

1 - Railways - Most of the passengers travel from out with the Edinburgh boundary. They need the support of the neighbouring authorities and the Scottish Parliament, plus Notwork Rail, and First Scotrail.

The line from the Borders is a good step forward, but still only will reduce a fraction of the current vehicular traffic.

As for the existing routes, capacity is a big problem. There is a lack of Rolling Stock, and that takes time to build and a lot of money to lease, just for the stock to sit idle out with the peak.

2 - Buses. With them being De-regulated, it makes central control harder to encourage new changes. Buses (IMHO) are only suitable for short journeys, under a half an hour from end to end.
Perhaps if the Scottish Parliament undid some of the deregulation, and allowed a tighter system, (as what London has) a proper co-ordinated approach to services would be provided, rather than a free for all along Princes Street.

3 "The Bridge" a true nightmare, however, without considerable infrastructure expense - another bridge, tunnel, or even a flexible lane system, its not going to get better

4 - Government Policy - Far too many Civil Servants are based in the Central Belt, and very few outside there. A campaign has run for a while in Dundee, that there is a discrimination against it. There is a few now at the care commission, but its not enough.

Also there has been much objection from SNH, I think, about them relocating to Inverness, so not easy to move jobs, and peoples lives.

Add in the Airport growth, and other factors, like the housing market, and it’s a recipe for further disaster. Unless of course the Scottish Parliament got round to key issues, and not the lighting in the hallway or, giving old people free bus passes.

[Duncan Stewart]

Superb! common sense people decide instead of politicians who think they know what is good for us.

[3GGG]

Good news and common sense. Perhaps the answer to the Bridge problem is for Fifers to work in Fife and not just use it as a dormitory.

[macblob]

Great news, glad i voted :D

[Steve74]

So glad most of us said no, even if the stupid and complex voting method made most people confused about which envelope goes where - what a fiasco.

Having lived in London for the past 4 years and having experienced Ken's Congestion charging all I can say is that it doesnt work. Every street is now congested with scores of empty bendy-busses which have to use most of the two or three lanes on a road to get round the corner on many streets, making traffic flow appalling.

I have no idea how these loony politicians get in power and decide that they will just do what they want - dont they remember that they are supposed to be our elected representatives, not a law unto themselves!! At least we got a chance to say b*ggger off to this stealth tax in Edinburgh! Cant wait to try to vote-out Ken in London!