The above is an artist's impression of the proposed Clyde Fastlink. This is a transport system which is said will provide an experience offering many of the benefits of a tram without the rails embedded in the ground. I ask myself why Edinburgh didn't think of such a system instead of insisting upon trams. Edinburgh city centre has been a disaster zone for the past couple of years and there's no sign of any tram as yet.
Planning permission was given to Glasgow City Council for the project in 2006 but funding from the Scottish government was rejected as part of the then government's Strategic Transport Projects Review, citing its lack of regional impact, it's failure to tackle congestion around Glasgow Central station and its lack of clear impact on emissions reductions.
However, it now appears that the Scottish government have agreed to fund the trams-on-wheels and it will be operational by 2014, according to the chairman of the company set up to deliver the scheme. The project will cost around £40 million.
The local authority and Strathclyde Partnership for Transport (yes them again) are now putting the final details to the business case which will be presented to the Government in the coming weeks.
Glasgow 'got it right' with their Metro system years ago and I'm hopeful this new public service will be as well received.
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14 comments:
A Tram without tracks... We call em' buses in England!!
Without a car, I found the SECC was horrible trying to get to, so this sounds good (without knowing all the details).
Have to say that I agree that they are just bendy busses.
Mind you, you will know how successful these things are in Germany and Switzerland. They certainly are in France. I know Mad Boris in London was against them, but I think that that is because London's streets were not wide enough and were too congested to make them work.
I'm with Billy though Scottish-built double deckers are just the job for in the town!
Bendy Bus was my first thought too. Londoners tell me that the main problem occurs when they went over a crossroads and there was insufficient space for the entire length of the bus to cross they end up blocking the whole junction, for ages.
Auch Rain, they're POSH buses surely!
Even with a car the SECC is difficult to find Stewart. Seems this might just solve the problem.
Billy I couldn't find out the spec but they're kind of posh really and seemingly have much of the pluses of trams.
Oh dear tris, seems like Glaswegians aren't having trams without rails after all if you all think they're just bendy buses.
At least they won't take 4-5 years to introduce and dig up the whole of Glasgow centre.
That happens on the continent banned. I've heard trams cause worse problems.
I was going to comment on the bendy buses, but the WV got me:-
inglized
There is an AI lurking in the internet now, I'm sure...
Auch Conan, not you too. I prefer trams on wheels to bendy buses.
Could be, could be ...
Why on Earth anyone would be wanting to put what is in effect a railway in the middle of a public road is quite beyond me; the carriages are a menace to all other road users and the rails lethal to motorcyclists in the wet and a wheel-trap for the bicycles.
Go electric by all means - what's wrong with the trolley-bus?
"Trams with wheels"? Ahem. Do not all trams have wheels.........? :)
You're right of course Tcheucter. That's why I called it a tram without rails. But of course a bendy bus is possibly right as well.
Like you say why Edinburgh thought it would be a good idea to dig up the whole of the city for one tram line beats me.
How can it be the 'Clyde Fastlink'? That train thing will sink!
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