Edinburgh trams: Princes Street to open to buses and taxis at end of June

The current timetable indicates that trams should be in service in 2014

Retailers have been promised buses and taxis will be back travelling along Edinburgh's Princes Street by the end of the month.

Edinburgh City Council has confirmed the thoroughfare will reopen west of Waverley Bridge.

However, tram works will close St Andrew Square and York Place in the autumn. Work will finish at the end of the year when the square will reopen.

However it is unclear whether it will be open in time for Christmas.

An Edinburgh City Council spokesman said: "The revised programme of works is designed to minimise the time we spend on site, particularly in the city centre, and to complete the project as soon as possible.

"Working continuously on-site gives us the best chance of sticking to this programme.

"In the meantime, we will continue to offer city centre traders all available support."