Re: New Melbourne trams have fewer seats than the old ones but they're longer!

[smiths@pobox.upenn.edu (Exile on Market Street)]

In article <399EF8B2.6B26@iprolink.co.nz>, David McLoughlin
<davemclNOSPAM@iprolink.co.nz> wrote:

> Test For Echo wrote:
> 
>  Why can't the Melbourne transit authorities specify an
> > interior seating design that meets their needs? 
> 
> 
> Because the trams have been franchised to a European company which is
> buying the new trams from another European company. The idiots probably
> don't even know that all previous Melbourne trams have been built in
> Melbourne and designed for Melbourne conditions. I suspect the idiots
> responsible have never even been in a tram.

I understand everything you're saying except the built-in-Melbourne part.

Understanding the local conditions is essential if you're going to have
equipment that works properly and keeps the passengers happy, but it
doesn't logically follow that the equipment has to be built where it will
be used.

Else we shouldn't have gotten our new M4 Market-Frankford El cars from a
Sydney manufacturing plant owned by a German company (I think the Swedish
firm had already sold its share to the German one).

-- 
Sandy Smith, University Relations / 215.898.1423 / smiths@pobox.upenn.edu
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