THE ASSOCIATION OF BRITISH DRIVERS
IN SCOTLAND
I refer to my telephone conversation on Friday morning with Graeme Elliott, who advised me that you were on leave. He offered to speak to you on the matter of our further information which I attach below.
We apologise for the delayed submission of this information to Tram Line One Committee but think it appropriate to draw thefollowing to your attention.
Although the following is particularly relevant to the Tram Line Two Committee which is being asked to endorse duplication of public spending by replacing the newly opened West Edinburgh Busway Scheme with tram track for Line Two, it also has significance for Tram Line One where disruption to public roads is required for relocation of public utilities and tram track-laying. Overall, however, the exceptional difference in costings precludes the Tramways from meeting the “best value” criterion, as tramways have no benefits which would compensate for the additional expenditure required.
In our submissions to Tram Line One and Tram Line Two Committees, we recommended to each that "a thorough feasibility study should be carried out on the use of Articulated Buses on existing/modified bus lanes. This will almost certainly prove to be much more efficient, cheaper and quicker than the tram proposals." We added that "it will become clear that no public transport system will solve all of Edinburgh's problems, and that improvement of the city's roads and car parks is an urgent necessity."
We have since been in correspondence with First Group, who are developing a tram-like articulated guided bus (to be called “Street Car”) which will cost about one fifth of an equivalent tram unit and may be diesel/electric hybrid, reducing emissions, and it could of course operate both on guided tracks and on-road, permitting more flexible routeing and avoiding the need to lay tram lines on existing roads with the resultant cost and disruption to both transport and business. It will also be able to bypass breakdowns, accidents and other temporary obstructions which a tramcar cannot. We attach images of the vehicle provided to us by First Group. (Click here to see Street Car)
The cost of laying Tram Line Two tracks along the existing and newly laid WEBS guided bus route would also be avoided, a double expense which is very wasteful of scarce public finances.
According to research by DfT and TAS (a transport consultancy) the comparative figures on cost per km of light rail v guided bus v bus lane are as follows:Light Rail (tramways) £13,888,889 per km
Guided Busway £ 1,077,586 per km
Bus Lane £ 161,290 per km
In summary, then, a guided bus scheme could be introduced
- to look cosmetically as attractive as a tram
- without an unsightly overhead power supply;
- at a construction cost well under 10% of that of a tramway;
- using vehicles costing 20% of the equivalent tram unit;
- without the upheaval to existing roads of utility services diversion and tracklaying;
- and delivered long before 2009, the intended completion date for the tramway scheme.
And the road toll would not be required at all, removing the risk of lost business which has already caused some consternation among local retailers.
Where each route is shared with existing roadways, it would be counterproductive to set aside part of these roadways for a guided busway because at off-peak times bus lanes could also be used by road vehicles, would be much cheaper to install and, in many locations, would already be in place, avoiding any additional expenditure at all.
Bruce Young, Lothian Coordinator,
Association of British Drivers.
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