Sir – Robert Sephton claims if Oxford had trams, “for most of the time, there will be two almost unbroken lines of trams, causing tailbacks extending beyond the centre of town” (Letters, April 9).

My experience of trams in 25 cities in ten countries is that they are better than buses at avoiding “bunching”. One tram can replace two or three buses and has better acceleration and reliability. This allows better and more reliable timetable intervals. I would expect tram routes to be franchised, minimising the competition that encourages companies to run too many buses off-peak.

Mr Sephton implies that a tram junction at The Plain would be impractical. I worked on urban railways for more than a decade.

There is room for a loop of track around The Plain with six sets of points to connect it to Magdalen Bridge, St. Clement’s and Cowley Road. Iffley Road has less frequent buses and might not justify conversion to trams for some time.

Articulated trams need less road width than long, wide buses – particularly when turning. Trams’ inability to overtake each other reduces the amount of road width they can occupy – unlike buses.

Trams are thus less obstructive to emergency vehicles and less hazardous to cyclists. Tram rails are more predictable and thus less hazardous than the pot-holes, worn inspection covers and uneven granite setts that beset cyclists in Oxford.

Mr Sephton’s claim that “cyclists will have to overtake on the left where they will meet with passengers boarding and leaving trams” flatly contradicts the Highway Code.

We need to use cars less and public transport more, and as much transport as possible should be free from emissions. Mr Sephton fails to show how Oxford could both increase passenger capacity and reduce congestion and emissions unless its busiest routes were converted to trams.

Hugh Jaeger, Oxford