Home News Five things you need to know today

Five things you need to know today

April 18, 2015 6:00 am

Corstorphine Hill

New app for the buses

Hayfever advice

Plastic bag charge raises £1m

Tomorrow’s big match

You can climb the Corstorphine Hill Tower which is open tomorrow afternoon from 2-4pm. It will mark a year since the opening of the John Muir Way from one side of the country to the other.

More information about the hill here.

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Blind and visually impaired bus passengers will now be able to navigate more independently around Edinburgh thanks to new features on Transport for Edinburgh’s mobile app.

Working closely with the Royal National Institute of Blind People (RNIB) and the Royal Blind School, the company has updated its existing app to include key features to assist the blind and visually impaired when using its bus or tram services.

The free app, which is available on Apple and Android Smartphones, now includes VoiceOver technology which means that blind and visually impaired passengers can have any part of the app spoken to them, including next stop announcements and walking directions to a bus or tram stop.

Councillor Lesley Hinds, Transport Convener and Chair of Transport for Edinburgh, said:

“We are committed to providing accessible travel for everyone in Edinburgh, and this app will further enable passengers to make the most of the services on offer.

“This is one of many innovations by Transport for Edinburgh to create a modern, integrated network for the city, allowing us to provide one of the most accessible public transport services in Scotland.”

John McEvoy, Digital Designer at Transport for Edinburgh, said:

“This has been a real partnership with the RNIB and Royal Blind School over many months to make our app as user-friendly for our blind and visually impaired passengers as possible.

“The new features have been designed to help them get around Edinburgh more easily, giving them information they need around bus stop locations and also helping them with their journey planning and keeping them right when it comes to getting on and off buses and trams.

“We’ve received really positive feedback about the app following trials with members of the RNIB and are delighted to finally make it available to the public. It’s the next step in app technology and we’re really proud to be the first bus company to launch it in the UK.”

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SCOTLAND’S national telehealth and telecare organisation is offering people some helpful tips and advice for managing the symptoms of hay fever and other allergies.

The onset of spring also heralds the start of Hay fever season for many people. To coincide with Allergy UK’s Awareness Week (20^th to 26^th April), NHS 24 is offering a few simple tips to help minimise the effects of the condition.

During the spring and summer months, NHS 24 receives an increase in calls from people experiencing the symptoms of hayfever – itchy eyes, runny nose, sinus pain and sneezing. Last year, the service received a total of 816 Hay fever-related calls between April and August. Visits to the Hay fever section of the online health information website NHS inform increased by 50% between May and June 2014. In addition, the Hay fever self help guide at www.nhs24.com was visited more than 3,700 times in June last year.

NHS 24 Medical Director Professor George Crooks said: “Hay fever is an allergic reaction to pollen from trees and grass, and can cause irritations of the eyes, nose and throat. The most effective way to control hay fever is to avoid exposure to pollen but this is very difficult to do, particularly during the summer months when you want to spend more time outdoors.

“Avoiding cutting grass, walking in grassy areas, and camping may reduce your exposure to grass pollens. When you are outside, wear sunglasses to stop pollen getting in your eyes and change your clothes and take a shower when you come back inside.

“If you get hay fever symptoms even when taking care, there are a number of over-the-counter medicines available from your local pharmacy. I would also remind people that NHS inform provides a wide range of information on Hay fever and allergies in general.”

For more information on the symptoms and treatments for allergies, visit www.nhsinform.co.uk The NHS 24 Self Help Guide at www.nhs24.com includes information for managing the symptoms of Hay fever at home.

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Scotland’s Environment Secretary Richard Lochhead has announced that four retailers have donated more than £1 million to good causes as a result of the single-use carrier bag charge, which came into effect almost six months ago.

Ahead of the six month anniversary on Monday 20 April 2015 the indicative figure has been revealed following retailer reports that single-use carrier bag usage has been reduced by more than 80 per cent since the charge was introduced on October 20, 2014.

Nationwide retailers that signed up to Zero Waste Scotland’s Carrier Bag Commitment – an agreement to disclose information on the charge, and donations made, to a central publicly available portal – are reporting that various charities up and down the country have also benefited from funds raised by the charge.

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