Re: Threat to Melbourne Trams?

[garry <garry@merddyn.apana.org.au>]

David Bromage wrote:

> What would 600 Variotrams cost? :) Even so, the SLR has special stops with
> raised parts of the platform. I don't think any street tramway CAN be made
> fully accessable.
>
> I think you'll hear a big outcry from the private bus operators. Replacing
> 50,000 buses at $300-400K each is not something they'll enjoy having
> forced on them.
>

David,

You're way off beam here. We are talking almost twenty years down the track. Are
you really saying that no bus operator is going to replace any of his fleet in
the next twenty years. To start with in most states buses are not permitted to
twenty-years old and in service unless they have had major rebuilds.

What you are saying is that every bus now on the road will still be on the road
in 2015. Rubbish! Even if they didn't have to meet new low floor/access
requirements, they would still be replaced in any case or massively rebiult
(cheaper). Many buses now have to have seat belts installed for coach use - how
many operators double up?

Yes the new design bus is more expensive (if seat belts fitted especially) but
kneeling buses are not that more expensive than normal ones. Brisbane has been
taking delivery of wheelchair/kneeling buses for sometine now. THerefore if all
replacement buses are bouight to new standardss by 2015 there would be very few
needing replacement that had not reached the end of their legal and economic
life.

This response of yours is typical of those who decry something before actually
examining all the facts.

Now the cae with the trams is different. I agree with your comments re SLR even.
No tramway can be made complient unless it is curbside with retractable ramps or
has wheelchair lifts (I don't think I've seen such a tram yet). Perhaps a
section of the low floor entrance can drop to street level. i.e. be the lift.

The age trams survive to (40 years or more) makes their replacement more costly
than the virtual nil compliance costs for bus operators (extra cost of buses
ignored). Even so. many of Melbourne's trams will have or be reaching their use
by date by then. Others will need major rebuilds. Although the costs will be
significantly higher than for buses, it will still not be the catastrophic costs
you are suggesting.

Please be realistic and not alarmist when making statements on future policies
especially when they are almost twenty years down the track thus giving
operators one vehicle life to plan.

Cheers


Garry