Why Edinburgh Missed the Trolleybus Opportunity | Edinburgh News

0:00It's September 12. I'm Cory with the story, and this is Edinburgh News today, local news powered by AI. So, Edinburgh's transport committee just shot down a proposal for a tram line to Grandin. They're saying no to this vital link, even though the community council made a last-minute push, calling it crucial for the area's economic, social, and environmental future. Meanwhile, we're still seeing reports of drivers losing about five days a year stuck in traffic jams. Now, the thing is, the council's future tram's office looked into something called bus rabbit transit, but that's a whole different beast. It uses diesel buses and wouldn't connect with the current tram system. This is a missed opportunity because there's a proven system out there that avoids some major headaches. That system is the trolley bus. It's been used successfully all over the world, and even historically in the UK, the big advantage here is that trolley buses don't have the same issues as trams. They bypass the arguments about losing the Roseburn cycle path and don't face the weight

1:02limits on places like the Dean Bridge. Trolley buses run on rubber tires and are much lighter than trams. They can actually hook up with the existing tram network, sharing the overhead power lines and using battery power when needed. Some of these modern articulated models can haul 200 passengers, and they just use regular roads. It's baffling why they didn't seriously check out this cutting edge trolley bus tech. The political parties that blocked this grant and a mere house opportunity should take a trip to see these systems in action in cities like Athens, Milan or Salzburg. It would be a trip with a purpose, showing them what they've passed up.