We need to listen to one another more

As a proud Scout Ambassador I’m always looking for ways to help young people in Bath develop the skills they need to succeed. One of the most essential of these is active listening. Today, according to new Yougov research, 86 per cent of UK adults who had a view said we don’t listen to each other enough in UK society. That needs to change. In my profession, on the set of a Hollywood movie, if actors don’t listen to each other, the scene doesn’t work. The same applies in real life – it’s about taking the time to understand different points of view and showing respect. Good listening is vital at both home and at work. Some 94 per cent of those with a view believe active listening is important in creating a productive work environment. The good news is that the Scouts in Bath are leading the way in this area. Over 90 per cent of UK adults say that the Scouts are helping young people to develop this important skill by working together with different kinds of people in small teams. When young people learn listening skills, it leads them to develop empathy and understand more about the needs of others. So whether you’re an adult looking for a great volunteering opportunity this year, or a young person looking to develop your skills, then visit www.scouts.org.uk to find out how to get involved. Thanks to all our great Scout volunteers and thanks for listening, Warwick Davis Actor, Director and Scout Ambassador

Along with many Bath Chronicle readers, I have been following the Bath tram debate with interest. Having visited both Edinburgh and Dublin (much larger cities than Bath) during construction of their tram systems, I am aware of the construction challenges presented by any conventional tram system - challenges that can impact negatively upon local businesses. There may be a viable alternative solution to the conventional tram system. There was a time when London Transport operated trolley buses. In the modern era, there may well be potential for a Bath trolley bus service, which would provide the flexibility that is essential for public transport vehicles to overcome obstacles in the road – whether badly parked vehicles or roadworks. A trolley bus would also be more bicycle friendly. As with a modern tram system the trolley bus would use overhead cables. A modern trolley bus could also incorporate an electric engine to cover short distances where tram lines are difficult to install for any reason, including proximity to historic buildings - or trees. The electric motor could be developed over time to provide power over a longer range. Within a 30-mile radius of Bath, there is a wealth of high technology expertise, including firms, designers and scientists who would, most probably, welcome the opportunity to develop a new transport initiative - one that could have applications worldwide. Laurence Sanders Bath

John Carson makes a number of useful and insightful points about the difficulties buried utilities can create for tram re--installs. However, they are not not as great as he implies. Edinburgh Tram was based on a heavy, sleepered rail system and these impose pressure at a far greater level on buried service than do the floated beam type tracks and the light rail vehicles we are proposing. Thus Edinburgh required deep excavations and full service relocation but beam tracks generally do not require utilities to be relocated per se. Floated beam type tracks impose less pressure at the bottom edge of the beam than does a single wheeled bus and thus will preserve the vaults and underlying services which do not need to be moved.

John also thinks that you have to close a tram line when it is being worked on - this is not true. There are three options: 1. Because trams generally operate at six-minute intervals strictly on time, it is easy to arrange two trams to arrive simultaneously from either side of the excavation and work in shuttle mode, with passengers having to make a short foot journey between trams. 2. On the continent it is commonplace to see trams moving slowly over deep excavations, suitably supported so there is no need to close the line - I myself have witnessed this in Antwerp 40 years ago. (photos at Bathtrams.uk) 3. A third option is the use of temporary “kletterweiche” tracks which are laid to one side of the excavation to deviate the route temporarily, and which cars can also traverse. John is absolutely right about the need to identify services before hand, and if he would care to look on the Bath Trams website he will see this point is well covered and understood, and we have some of the UK leading experts in this area of consents and approvals on our Board. As has been pointed out, one of the principal causes of the problems in Edinburgh was the failure to carry out a proper survey before hand. I would also point out, that the original letter mentioning Edinburgh trams did not say it was a good example, but it cited: a) that connecting it to a park and ride vastly increased the patronage of the park and ride compared to the previous bus connections indicating that drivers will switch to trams, and also b) that usage had dramatically increased and now exceeded projections. ie it makes the point that trams are enormously attractive to car drivers, whereas buses are not. As regards trams pushing traffic out to the periphery this would not be true in Bath. We are not generally proposing segregated routes for trams in Bath except there may be one or two such as the centre of Wellsway, which will not impede car traffic. We propose a radial spoke and hub layout, and experience shows that car drivers will use trams, whereas they will not switch to buses, and with a six-minute service it will be quicker to go in, and then out by tram, rather than trying to fight the across-town traffic in a car. And this also applies to the school run, where parents will be happy to send their kids on even two-tram journeys because trams are so frequent and reliable compared to buses. Thus there will be little need or pressure for car drivers to cut through the peripheral areas. With Green Wave Traffic Light pre-emption (which generally cannot be applied to buses) even without segregated tram routes, trams can move through traffic magically and swiftly (I know this sounds impossible but look up Green Wave on the Bath Trams website - what it means is that instead of queuing in Bath, traffic will queue for the same amount of time, but outside Bath). So we also believe that Adam Reynolds is wrong to say that trams increase capacity but do not cut congestion - wherever trams have been installed in UK generally they have lowered congestion as car drivers will switch to them but not buses. But he is right that trams have a much higher capacity than buses, by up to five times. Dave Andrews By email

As a former resident of Bath, and still shocked by the levels of congestion and pollution created by cars in Bath and Bristol (where I now live), I have followed the recent articles in the Chronicle with great interest, and can report that my mother who lives in Dijon, was very much against the re-introduction of trams to her city and actively campaigned against them. However, she is now a real convert and rarely uses her car. France has re-introduced over 30 trams since they were all removed after the war, and it is generally thought they improve city life for residents and shop keepers because it makes moving around so easy which encourages commercial activity and leisure without all the fuss of parking, and the noise and pollution of cars. I hope Bath (and Bristol) soon adopt the tram, to make all our lives easier. Delphine Avondo Bristol

I think we need to get our priorites right regarding the purpose of our city streets (“Tackle services, then lay the tram tracks”, Letters, February 14th). Are the roads there primarily as coverings for underground plant and services, or as a means of getting around? Surrendering the surface to the public utilities by putting trams underground would squander one of their main benefits. The tram’s shiny steel rails under people’s noses in city streets is a powerful marketing tool for sustainable transport, to say nothing of the huge boost which the trams can give to the image of the city. Just think how often we see trams featured in travel shows and documentaries. The same can’t be said for underground metros. Sorting out the public services plant underour streets benefits everyone by securing a disruption-free future. A tram scheme should be regarded positively as a catalyst for long-overdue review and consolidation of “what lies beneath”. Besides which, the tram rails themselves act as girders which strengthen the “roof” over underground ducts, sewers, vaults and pipes, helping to protect them against impacts and vibrations from bus and HGV wheels. David Holt Manchester

I refer to the recent letter ‘Tackle services then lay the tram tracks’ submitted by John R T Carson. It is true that traditional track solutions for urban tram routes in the UK have incurred significant costs in the relocation of utility equipment – the utility companies do expect to be able to access their equipment to effect repairs and tram tracks are generally laid on significant foundations of concrete. Interestingly it is not the trams that require such robust track – road traffic, in particular buses and heavy goods vehicles present the heaviest axle loads. Coventry City Council in partnership with the University of Warwick and Transport for West Midlands is leading a project to develop a very light rail urban tram solution which will feature a modular track solution that can be rapidly moved to allow utility access for repairs. We are working closely with various utilities to gain their support for this new approach. Dr Nick Mallinson University of Warwick