This Is Why We Need Trams

Edinburgh City Council are preparing to look at charging people driving the most-polluting vehicles around the city.

Edinburgh is in breach of EU air quality guidelines, and while that hasn't meant much so far from 2015 the EU will start imposing fines. The plan so far has been to wait for technology - everyone driving electric cars - to save us. Edinburgh has now run out of time on that one, so is looking to implement Low Emission Zones in the worst polluted areas.

There's a lesson in there for those people who are sitting back believing that technology will save us from climate change. It's also a lesson in why we need a tram network. Think how many diesel buses and petrol cars can be replaced by electric trams, reducing the air pollution in the highly-used transport corridors.

But Edinburgh needs to start acting now, not wait until the first fines are imposed in 2015.