Where there is a will

Yes, it seems very likely two tracks would be needed, especially given the rise we must now expect in the demand for transport in and out of Oxford from the south. But we already have twin bus ‘tracks’, and buses are wider than any tram need be.

Trams do not need to overtake one another. A defining advantage of a railway is the ability to pre-allocate a complete path, either circular or point-to-point. There is little opportunity for congestion. Throughput can be maximized.

Removing the need to both overtake and pull in and out frees yet more space for pedestrian and cyclist who can enjoy clearly separated conduits, safe from any threat. A kerb or low fence, between protected crossings, is all that is needed, and provides opportunity for street ornamentation (seats, tubs of flowers, etc.) alongside.

Surely, all this would go a long way to satisfying the demands made by the High Priority group to mitigate the visual impact and pollution of transport.

Merely exchanging the diesel bus for a hybrid vehicle will achieve little, and will do nothing to increase capacity.

As far as merging routes at the Plain is concerned, I fail to see why this should prove a problem. Modern control and signalling are unobtrusive.

A tram system may be expensive and difficult to achieve, but it is surely time for our planning authority to start giving it serious consideration, if not leadership. Reliance upon the bus is not the result of bad planning; it is the result of no planning.

Where there is a will, there is a way. Meanwhile, the health of both city and people will continue to suffer.

Dr Ian East, Islip