Leeds trolley buses set to get the go ahead!

[raveydavey]

Quite possibly - and with the council seemingly doing everything in their power to introduce congestion onto the roads of Leeds, it's only a matter of time before they introduce charges that no-one wants

[chameleon]

Need we wait for the answer?http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-leeds-11630213

[anthonydna]

Tories to invest in the North ? Call me cynical !

[raveydavey]

Apparently £200 million is needed.Now, I can't see the point to be honest - the city would be much better served by an East-West route to get existing commuters onto mass transit, rather than expecting people from Wakefield to drive to Stourton and pay to park and pay to get a trolley bus, but what do I know?However, in todays world £200 million isn't that much money. If there was a genuine need for it, Metro should be able to borrow that amount against future profits / assetts involved in the scheme. So why all this waiting for Downing Street rubbish?If they want it, get it built.

[anthonydna]

Only 50 million needed for the first 4/5 years, so you never know. Would make a change, an arena and a mass transport system ! Whatever next!

[BLAKEY]

Sadly I have to say that the trolleybus proposal has become one of the worst cases of "rose tinted spectacles" I've ever come across, and I'm sure many of the supportive politicians and councillors haven't really thought it through. The ill fated tram sustem, although admittedly only the first three routes phase was discussed, was equally ineffective in isolation. The trolleybus scheme would involve unsightly overhead equipment and a certain degree of inflexibilty in the event of road closures or power failure, although admittedly the modern limited ability to move on batteries or auxiliary diesel engines has to be considered in favour of the system.I make these comments with regret as I am a strong supporter of public transport and a lover of its history and interesting vehicles and organisation, but as far as I can see these days trolleybuses fall into the same category as the utterly ludicrous guided busways - whose expensive and unsightly infrastructure has dangers bullt in - there have been several cases of buses crawling or jumping out of the tracks and causing damage and of losing the little "guide wheels", and passengers are required to use the 19th century habit of boarding and alighting in the middle of busy roads. At least the trolleybus WOULD put folks safely at the kerb.    

[Riponian]

I agree with Raveydavy, it's coming from somewhere not many people come from. As for those out in that direction, they'd probably stay in their cars and keep going to the City Centre rather than then catch the bus. They'd get stuck in the same traffic as everyone else.Far more beneficial would be trains with more carriages for the routes into Leeds, probably a lot cheaper than this crazy scheme, but once again it seems that HMG likes to see all the money go down south.

[tyke bhoy]

This is probably just pie in the sky http://www.wymetro.com/news/projects/pr ... df.pdf.pdf but is certainly a lot further off than Trolleybus if that ever happens. However given the intention of the tram train route isn't that pretty much doubling up on the trolleybus northern route (Otley Road corridor)?

[pyramar]

anthonydna wrote: Only 50 million needed for the first 4/5 years, so you never know. Would make a change, an arena and a mass transport system ! Whatever next! Can I ask why only £50m of the £235m would be needed in the first five years? Surely all the expense is front on, buying unsightly purple slugs with pantographs and paying foreign companies for miles of overhead wires and foreign workers to erect them?I'm a businessman and i have not yet met any other business person (nor any non business person for that matter) who defends this ludicrous trolleybus idea. The only people in favour seem to be at Metro or First bus (who would get a generous contract to run the system then finishing up buying the loss making system for pennies in the way Sheffield trams were sold.

[BLAKEY]

pyramar wrote: Can I ask why only £50m of the £235m would be needed in the first five years? Surely all the expense is front on, buying unsightly purple slugs with pantographs and paying foreign companies for miles of overhead wires and foreign workers to erect them?I'm a businessman and i have not yet met any other business person (nor any non business person for that matter) who defends this ludicrous trolleybus idea. The only people in favour seem to be at Metro or First bus (who would get a generous contract to run the system then finishing up buying the loss making system for pennies in the way Sheffield trams were sold. Well said Sir !!