Rail against this scheme
From: Mick Johnson, Scholes.
I AGREE, partially, with the comments of Geoff Hall (The Yorkshire Post, November 2) on the subject of tram technology. Trams have always had two operating problems, both relating to the installation of the basic infrastructure.
Firstly they run on electricity through overhead power-lines. Yes, that can be overcome by the use of battery power but the present battery technology limits its use.
Secondly, trams run on rails. The installation of rails is hugely expensive and disruptive (if you research the initial cost and cost/time overruns in Edinburgh you will know what I mean). The problems with trams on rails, as with railways, is that the tram can only go where the rails take it. There can be no deviation. If a bus breaks down all other traffic, including other buses, can simply drive round. If a tram breaks down, that’s it, every other tram behind it is also stuck.
To install a tram system from scratch is ruinously expensive and any idea that Leeds should have one should be strenuously rebuffed. To run a single tramway from north to south through Leeds, as was recently proposed, was sheer daftness.
If you want to see a modern ‘tramway system’ simply go to York and watch a bendy bus. It’s as long as a tram, just as fast and can use any route. The only difference is that the bus runs on tyres on the existing roads.
And please, please, don’t use the old argument that ‘they have one so we should have as well.’