REMEMBER WHEN

A SECOND rift in days erupted between Mayor Ron Clarke and his deputy, this time over light rail.

Stamping his authority in a direct challenge to the city’s leader, Deputy Mayor David Power announced that the council would pursue light rail no matter what Cr Clarke, one of its chief detractors, thought.

Cr Power said the council’s number one transport priority was to make light rail happen.

“The overwhelming opinion of the council is that the light rail is the best solution for the city’s transport,” said Cr Power.

“It will happen, I am absolutely determined that light rail will happen.

“Light rail is a viable option.” His comments came after Cr Clarke, in his Weekend Bulletin column, continued his criticism of the innovative transport system, promoting a rapidtransit bus system – in which hitech buses use their own lanes – as a better alternative.

Cr Clarke, whose opposition to light rail was a key election platform, called on the council to secure rapid-transit buses because “the reality is tram tracks are expensive to build and are inflexible to alter”.

Cr Power, a keen advocate of light rail for several years, said Cr Clarke voted with his colleagues in a unanimous resolution to support light rail, endorsing a feasibility study.

He said the Mayor’s negative comments “confused” the issue. “We need to be showing the Government that we have a united front,” he said.

“Simply painting lines on the road and believing that is a solution to our public transport system doesn’t address the economic, social and environmental issues.”