Sir – Almost every town or city that uses trams also operates buses. Robert Sephton’s claim that “running a mixed system brings its own complications” (Letters, April 23) is groundless. Mr Sephton doubts that one tram could replace two or three buses. Actually trams throughout Europe do so easily. One modern Dresden tram carries up to 260 people (59 per cent seated), one Oxford Bus Company Citaro carries up to 72 (51 per cent seated) and one new Stagecoach Enviro300 carries up to 73 (63 per cent seated). Trams replacing high-frequency bus routes 1, 2, 5, 7 and 8 could carry more passengers in equal comfort with fewer vehicles. Mr Sephton says that if park-and-ride services were converted from bus to tram they would be slower. Actually routes 300 and 400 include roads that I have not proposed for tramways, and I would envisage them continuing as limited-stop buses.

Water Eaton route 500 runs only every 15 minutes, so passengers would gain from Kidlington to Oxford trams supplementing their infrequent buses. Mr Sephton again misrepresents the law on vehicles passing tram stops. He now claims cyclists are only “advised” not to overtake on the left.

Actually the law forbids any vehicle from overtaking at tram stops that have no platforms beside the tracks. They must wait, as they do elsewhere in Europe. Where space allows, many European tramways have small, neat platforms in the middle of the road where passengers can wait and alight, linked to the pavement by pedestrian crossings. This might be an option in wider parts of Banbury Road, London Road and the Queen’s Lane stop in High Street, subject to consultation on local heritage and aesthetics. Mr Sephton yet again 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