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Edinburgh Reporter
19-05-2025
- Business
- Edinburgh Reporter
New way to pay on trams from today
The operator of Edinburgh's tram network has launched its new payment solution, 'Tap on, Tap off' or TOTO, which is now live in the capital. The first customers using the new system rode the tram this morning, after tapping a contactless card or device on the existing platform validators. This marks a significant step forward for the operator, allowing more seamless bus and tram travel in the city thanks to partnerships with Edinburgh Trams' sister company, Lothian, and facilitated by payment provider Flowbird. Lea Harrison, Managing Director of Edinburgh Trams, said: 'The launch of ToTo today comes today following months of hard work from colleagues across the business, and would not be possible without significant investment in existing infrastructure. We believe that ToTo future-proofs the tramway, making it easier and more efficient than ever to use the tram to glide across the city.' Lea was joined for the official launch this morning by David Thompson, General Manager-Transport for Flowbird, Lothian Buses' Head of Product Strategy Stevie Chambers, and the City of Edinburgh Council's Deputy Leader, Councillor Mandy Watt. David Thompson said: 'At Flowbird, we're proud of our partnership with Edinburgh Trams, alongside Lothian Buses, in developing and delivering Scotland's first multimodal, multi-operator account-based ticketing system. Edinburgh is a true 'world' city and so it is fitting that its people, along with millions of visitors, should benefit from technology that makes travel on the tram and bus network seamless, easy to use and cost effective. By doing so, we encourage a modal shift to more sustainable transport and help to make cities more liveable.' Deputy Council Leader, Councillor Mandy Watt said: 'I'm delighted to have attended the launch of the new ToTo system today. I really enjoyed meeting colleagues from Edinburgh Trams and Lothian Buses to hear about the new system and see the first journeys being made. This key development reinforces our integrated, seamless, and accessible public transport network here in Edinburgh, which is the backbone of any major city. It's fair to say that when it comes to our public transport network, we punch well above our weight compared with similar cities. 'In addition to existing tickets, travel across our trams and buses will now be even easier and more convenient than ever with ticket prices automatically capped at the cheapest daily and weekly rate for those using ToTo. Our excellent public transport system is an inclusive form of travel – it provides an alternative to car use especially for people on lower incomes or with mobility issues. Low carbon travel is also a cornerstone of our wider climate ambitions and I'm sure that ToTo will encourage greater use. 'I'm proud of the part the Council has played in delivering this milestone and commit to working with our transport operators to deliver yet more improvements to our public transport network. 'I have no doubt that many millions of journeys in the coming months will be made using the new system and everyone involved has my sincere thanks. We're committed to keeping Edinburgh moving and ToTo is a very welcome addition to the transport landscape.' Reminder to tap off Customers are reminded that, unlike on Lothian Bus services, they are required to 'Tap off' when they leave the tram, in order to complete their journey and be charged the correct fare. If the same card or device is not used to Tap off, the journey is registered as incomplete, and customers will be charged the full Airport Zone fare of £7.90. This system works alongside Lothian Buses' existing TapTapCap system to cap bus and tram travel across the city at the Cap rate, aligning Edinburgh Trams with services offered by its sister company. Sarah Boyd, Managing Director of Lothian Buses said: 'Lothian is delighted to work with Edinburgh Trams to further enhance our TapTapCap solution which now offers integrated payment for journeys across the city's bus and tram network. 'The introduction of daily and weekly capping across both modes will ensure that customers using the same card or device can always benefit from the cheapest Pay As You Go fare regardless of how their travel plans might change.' Customers who benefit from existing concession cards or use a Ridacard should continue to use these as before and aren't required to tap off to end their journey. Each contactless card or device can only be used for one standard Adult fare – customers travelling in groups or with children should still use the ticket vending machines on platforms or the Bus & Tram App or Edinburgh Ticket to pre-purchase their tickets. Click here for additional information about 'Tap on, Tap off' – FAQs and terms of use. Pic Greg Macvean 19/05/2025 Edinburgh Trams – launch of TOTO (tap on tap off) scheme Sarah Boyd Managing Director of Lothian with Lea Harrison Managing Director of Edinburgh Trams with Martha at the launch The official party from Lothian, Edinburgh Trams and Flowbird at the launch Edinburgh Trams – Lea Harrison Managing Director of Edinburgh Trams with Alfie at the launch of TOTO (tap on tap off) scheme Pic Greg Macvean 19/05/2025 Like this: Like Related
Scotsman
24-04-2025
- Business
- Scotsman
British Transport Police could be moving in to Edinburgh Council headquarters under new plans
Watch more of our videos on and on Freeview 262 or Freely 565 Visit Shots! now British Transport Police (BTP) could be moving in to Edinburgh Council's headquarters under plans set to be voted on by councillors next week. Sign up to our daily newsletter Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to Edinburgh News, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... Council officers are recommending councillors extend a 10 year lease to the BTP for space in the city's Waverley Court office building. A council report says that the space would not be used as a 'police station' – rather, it would be used for offices, amenity facilities and storage. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Council headquarters at Waverley Court. | JPI Media License The police service, which covers railway stations across the UK, has a station in the city near Haymarket railway station. But it is looking for office space closer to Waverley Station, the second-busiest railway station in Scotland. The report says that 'neither persons detained by BTP nor witnesses' would be brought onto the site of the council-owned building. Edinburgh Council would bring in about £185,000 per year from the lease, with the police service paying £95,500 per year in rent and about £90,000 towards the costs of running the building. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad BTP would take up 444 square metres in the office block, which sits southeast of Waverley Station on East Market Street. According to the report, the pandemic and the adoption of home working has led to occupancy rates in the building falling. Edinburgh Council has already accommodated several other tenants in Waverley Court, including environmental protection agency SEPA, Visit Scotland and Skills Development Scotland. BTP's space would be on the courtyard level of the building, displacing some council staff who would be resited elsewhere in Waverley Court. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad The lease would include access by BTP staff to common facilities in the building, such as the canteen, secure cycle parking and some meeting rooms. If the lease is approved, BTP would cordon off their space in the building prior to staff moving in close to the end of 2025. There would be a rent review five years into the lease, with a clause allowing BTP to break the lease at year seven. Labour councillor Mandy Watt, convener of the Finance and Resources committee said: 'If agreed at next week's committee, we will look forward to welcoming British Transport Police into Waverley Court, which is quickly becoming a true Partnership Hub, with organisations from all parts of the public sector joining forces to make greater use of the space and share expertise. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad 'By welcoming these organisations in, we are generating significant income for the Council and making sure our headquarters is operated in the most sustainable, efficient, and collaborative way.' Edinburgh councillors will vote on the report at the next meeting of the Finance and Resources Committee on Tuesday, 29 April, which can be viewed here.
Edinburgh Reporter
24-04-2025
- Business
- Edinburgh Reporter
Edinburgh Council overpaid staff to the tune of £1.78m in five years
Edinburgh Council has overpaid staff to the tune of £1,780,000 over what is believed to be five years – with councillors being asked to write off almost £140,000 in unrecovered overpayments and implement changes to reduce the burden of overpayments on staff. In a report to councillors, officers said 1,459 staff members had been overpaid in that time – 579 of them being current staff, while 880 had already left the council. The council report said that the bulk of the overpayments – £1.1m – were made to staff in education, including cases where 'council or school management was at fault' which risked causing staff significant financial hardship. Some £440,000 came from the city's Place division, while £200,000 came from the Health and Social Care Partnership, £32,800 came from Corporate Services and £1,600 from the Chief Executive's Office. Councillors are now set to consider a new pay policy, which would aim to make repaying overpaid wages less burdensome. If councillors approve changes, employees who have been overpaid over several months will have at least as many months as they were overpaid to pay back the excess wages. Officers also want to see £139,978.80 of overpaid wages written off, which come from 27 cases of overpayment. All involve situations where efforts to reach employees to set up repayment plans have been unsuccessful. According to the report, 20% of salary overpayments were due to 'processing errors', while 34% was due to issues with annual leave calculations. And 36% were due to 'late information submitted to HR', while 4% were listed under 'system error'. The bulk of overpayments were made to staff on grades 1 through 4 on the council's pay scale, with under a third of current employee overpayment cases and under a fifth of overpayment cases for staff who have left the organisation falling above this band. Labour councillor Mandy Watt, convener of the Finance and Resources committee said: 'Our payroll salary and wage payments are around £550m annually, for a workforce of over 17,000 colleagues, and on average 99.5% of monthly payments are accurate. 'We've recently taken a more considered approach to overpayments, allowing more flexible and extended repayment plans to be put in place. 'Where an overpayment has been made, the new pay policy encourages colleagues to get involved in the process, so a repayment plan can be agreed which takes all the circumstances into account. 'There's also a new HR and Payroll system which gives all colleagues improved visibility of the information that's used to calculate their pay and they can view their payslip electronically each month allowing earlier discussion of any potential issues.' The overpayment was reported in the Edinburgh Reporter last September following a Freedom of Information request. By Joseph Sullivan Local Democracy Reporter Like this: Like Related
Scotsman
24-04-2025
- Business
- Scotsman
Edinburgh council overpaid staff £1.78 million with new pay policy now being considered
Watch more of our videos on and on Freeview 262 or Freely 565 Visit Shots! now Edinburgh council has overpaid staff to the tune of £1,780,000 over what is believed to be five years – with councillors being asked to write off almost £140,000 in unrecovered overpayments and implement changes to reduce the burden of overpayments on staff. Sign up to our daily newsletter Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to Edinburgh News, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... In a report to councillors, officers said 1,459 staff members had been overpaid in that time – 579 of them being current staff, while 880 had already left the council. The council report said that the bulk of the overpayments – £1.1m – were made to staff in education, including cases where 'council or school management was at fault' which risked causing staff significant financial hardship. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Some £440,000 came from the city's Place division, while £200,000 came from the Health and Social Care Partnership, £32,800 came from Corporate Services and £1,600 from the Chief Executive's Office. Edinburgh's Labour administration now has just 10 out of the 63 seats on the council Edinburgh councillors are now set to consider a new pay policy, which would aim to make repaying overpaid wages less burdensome. If councillors approve changes, employees who have been overpaid over several months will have at least as many months as they were overpaid to pay back the excess wages. Officers also want to see £139,978.80 of overpaid wages written off, which come from 27 cases of overpayment. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad All involve situations where efforts to reach employees to set up repayment plans have been unsuccessful. According to the report, 20 per cent of salary overpayments were due to 'processing errors', while 34 per cent was due to issues with annual leave calculations. And 36 per cent were due to 'late information submitted to HR', while 4 per cent were listed under 'system error'. The bulk of overpayments were made to staff on grades 1 through 4 on the council's pay scale, with under a third of current employee overpayment cases and under a fifth of overpayment cases for staff who have left the organisation falling above this band. Labour councillor Mandy Watt, convener of the finance and resources committee said: 'Our payroll salary and wage payments are around £550m annually, for a workforce of over 17,000 colleagues, and on average 99.5% of monthly payments are accurate. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad 'We've recently taken a more considered approach to overpayments, allowing more flexible and extended repayment plans to be put in place. 'Where an overpayment has been made, the new pay policy encourages colleagues to get involved in the process, so a repayment plan can be agreed which takes all the circumstances into account. 'There's also a new HR and Payroll system which gives all colleagues improved visibility of the information that's used to calculate their pay and they can view their payslip electronically each month allowing earlier discussion of any potential issues.' Councillors will discuss the overpayments and the proposed new pay policy at the next meeting of the Finance and Resources Committee on Tuesday, 29 April.
