Trams v. Buses, Edinburgh, 22 December 1950

Sir, I hope the recent wintry spell in our city (of hills), with the snowy, slushy, icy streets will cause our Town Council to pause and think awhile before finally embarking on the drastic scheme of scrapping our tramway system in favour of a bus one. Surely trams are much more comfortable when the track is in order, and safer to travel in at all times and especially in wintry conditions. I have spoken to a number of friends on this subject and every one of them is against a change over, and one wonders whether the citizens, as a whole, would welcome a change. We are fortunate in having a fairminded Town Council, with a fairminded Lord Provost at its head, and I suggest that out of fairness to the ratepayers an endeavour should be made to find out (if necessary even by plebiscite, but exempting, if so, the out-lying districts at present served only by bus), whether there is a public desire for the change, which I very much doubt. I am &c William Kay