Stephen Roberts (Oxford Mail, letters, January 27) claims trams for the Oxford area would destroy our bus network.

Actually Nottingham, Sheffield, Croydon, Manchester and many European cities benefit from integration between trams and buses.

He claims trams could not turn the corner between St Aldate’s and High Street.

Actually Carfax would suit modern articulated trams better than it does the 14.5m long Oxford Tube coaches using it now.

He claims trams would need double tracks in Cornmarket and Queen Street.

Actually a single track, one-way loop via George Street, Cornmarket, Queen Street, New Road and part of Worcester Street would restore the cross-city links destroyed by the Cornmarket pedestrianisation in 1999 and Transform Oxford in 2009.

It would also help reverse the county council’s increasing exclusion of disabled people from Oxford.

He claims trams would need overhead wires in Oxford High Street and central Abingdon. Actually Alstom’s successful APS ground level electricity supply runs trams without overhead wires. APS now works well in Bordeaux and is being introduced to Angers, Reims, Barcelona and Dubai.

He claims trams would need fences up to 5m high to protect us from ground-level power supplies.

Only the section of APS actually underneath a tram is live, so it needs no fence.

Bus routes 1 and 5 are near saturation point, Cowley Road can hardly take more buses and businesses in High Street want fewer buses per hour.

Trams carry more passengers on fewer vehicles with less vibration and noise.

Trams are our future.

Hugh Jaeger Chairman Bus Users UK Oxford Branch Park Close Oxford