Re: Melbourne Trams

[Jennifer Richmond <richmond@melbpc.org.au>]

David Langley wrote:

> One quote was that "buses could easily get in the left hand lane" which
> supposedly would permit a proper traffic flow. I don't know what roads
> he drives on but most of the time the left hand lane on the roads that I
> drive on is full of parked cars. If these guys don't like to follow a
> tram, then they could find a road without them. There are plenty without
> resorting to the freeway and if they are so pro road then let them drive
> on Jeff's new toll way. Someone will have to pay my share because I
> won't be using it. Some years ago when I had a need to drive around
> Melbourne a lot, there were lots of alternative routes where there were
> no trams.

Can you imagine the chaos city area at peak hour if there were no trams and
all buses?
- Swanston Walk has a continuous stream of trams (I remember reading that
the headway is about 10 to 14 seconds). Imagine this as a constant stream of
buses, people would have to wear gas masks! It would be chaos with buses
trying to overtake each other, getting stuck, butting in... even in the off
peak, I think that the headway is only about 90 to 120 seconds!
- Elizabeth Street is a bit lighter (not much) but has mostly B class trams,
which would mean either doubling the number of vehicles or purchasing
articulated buses to keep the passenger capacity!!
- Buses have to wait while the driver sells tickets, remember the fiasco
when driver only trams started: trams were being delayed for 5 to 10 mins at
each major stop, and this was Sunday!! At least the tram has a machine (even
if no one does use it).
- Many hundreds of buses would have to be purchased to replace the trams,
including 132 B class trams, which would have to be replaced by 2 buses or
articulated buses.

Well that's what I think anyway!

Sam Eades