THE ambitious plan for the city to have a tram system in the future seems like a good idea in principle (Oxford Mail, February 16). But I cannot see it working in practice.

I cannot see the High Street, Cornmarket Street, St Aldate’s and Queen Street having gantries 20-30 yards apart to support electric cables for the power for the trams.

What you must remember is that Oxford is a university city and I cannot see the powers-that-be allowing all these gantries outside the colleges.

They don’t even have Christmas lights once a year outside them.

Millions of pounds have been spent in recent years in Cornmarket, Queen Street, St Aldate’s and now the High Street, and those streets – like many others –would have to be defaced to put down the tram lines.

In the early days of steam there was a station in South Oxford called Abingdon Road Halt, old photos will show this.

It was very close to where the Redbridge Park & Ride is now. Between Oxford and Banbury there were seven intermediate stations –the first one being Kidlington, situated at the north of the village.

The other railway line between Oxford and Bicester passes by Pear Tree Park & Ride and closer still to Water Eaton Park & Ride.

As your feature suggests, people would travel by tram from these outlying districts, so why has no thought gone into putting stations at park & ride sites?

This may happen at Water Eaton in the future if Chiltern Railways can come from Marylebone to Oxford via Bicester. But until then, park & ride by bus is the only option.

COLIN A SMITH, George Moore Close, Donnington, Oxford