Re: Melbourne Trams

["David Winter" <winterd@icenet.com.au>]

Perhaps we could consider the UK experience. In London, buses DO NOT pull
out of the traffic queue to stop. They deliberately stay in lane to prevent
a solid line passing them so they can't get back in. (An RM does not have
startling acceleration to say the least!). In very heavy traffic with parked
vehicles, bus bays do not get used. Net result with buses - not a lot
different from trams.

In fact the main culprits in Melbourne are the local councils who refuse to
allow an adequate passing lane on the approach and departure sides of tram
stops, so that traffic can get around stationary trams. To improve traffic
flow, I'd suggest legalising passing on the right - simple in many
locations.

DW
Jennifer Richmond wrote in message <374DD9F2.6DD51EA1@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
>
>