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Eagle Couriers hit by Edinburgh tramworks
Page 15
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EAGLE COURIERS claims its lleet of vans are racking up an extra 4,600 miles a month in Edinburgh (pictured right) due to the city centre's major tramworks. which are causing road closures and diversions.
The Scottish firm has used its tracking software to analyse delivery journey times in the affected areas of Edinburgh; and it estimates that the works are adding an extra 770 hours per month to its deliveries.
Jerry Stewart, one of Eagle's three directors, says: "We make about 400 deliveries in Edinburgh every day, so this work is having a huge effect on our business. If you multiply that across all the other deliveries into the city centre, the knock-on is potentially huge.
The construction work has been going on for more than a year and is set to last at least another 18 months, claims Stewart.
"This adds up to many tens-ofthousands of pounds' worth of I wasted man hours and extra costs for us. which is a big concern."
The Road Haulage Association regional director for Scotland and Northern Ireland, Phil Flanders, says: "The tramworks arc adding at least 15 to 20 minutes onto every journey. Local businesses perhaps need to consult the head of transport at Edinburgh council or pass the costs onto their clients."
I lowever, Stewart says most of Eagle's customers arc feeling the pinch, so "putting up our rates or billing our clients for the extra time we spend in traffic jams could be a very costly move, as they would be likely to switch to a cheaper competitor':