TURNING THE TABLES ON THE ANTI-TRAM 'EXPERTS'

This article advocates the re-introduction of tram networks in the UK. Already developed lines such as those in Manchester and Sheffield were based on hard-fought political decisions. Other countries, especially France, have been expanding the use of urban tramways for longer. The author sees guided bus technology as not developing further, while trams prove more effective than buses in persuading drivers to change transport mode. Investment in trams should be seen as an important part of land use planning: residential developments built around a tram line provide a customer base which was not existent when the line itself was built.