Nottingham trams show way for Bath

The Nottingham tram system has been highly effective in cutting congestion and traffic and could do the same for Bath and Bristol.

Councillor Dave Liversidge, portfolio holder for transport, said in 2018: “Figures released just this week by the Department for Transport showed Nottingham achieved the biggest reduction in per capita car traffic of any English local authority outside London – a reduction of 8.2 percent between 2009-11 and 2015.

“It’s not by chance we’ve been able to limit congestion. We’ve carried out improvements to improve traffic flows along the ring road and created a world-class public transport system encouraging the highest public transport use outside London.”

At the recent lecture organised by Bath Trams, Nottingham tram expert Roger Harrison made the following points amongst others:

It is very successful and has been extended with the construction of two additional lines due to public demand.

Independent studies and audit show that Nottingham is meeting its pollution reduction targets through several environmental measures, a major element being the tram network as the verdict of HMG’S audit officers show.

The tram system has encouraged both business and dwellings to locate along the line (to choose to locate to Nottingham – a tram is a prerequisite for some international investors eg from Germany (where almost all major cities have them).

Nottingham has excellent buses, some electric and many with leather seats, and wifi but nevertheless only about 3 per cent of tram users are ex car drivers compared to about 25 per cent for the tram. Also, tram operating costs per passenger km is about 75 per cent of bus costs

Twenty-five per cent of the capital cost comes from the workplace parking levy. This levy did not cause businesses to leave Nottingham as was feared by some groups.

Once one line is built there is a clamour for more lines to be built.

On the face of it, Bath, with a similar population to Besancon, France, 110,000, which has recently had a tram re-installed, is worthy of consideration for re tramming Dave Andrews Bath Area Trams Association