Those who take an interest in suggested solutions to help sort out Bath’s transport problems will know that David Andrews is a keen promoter of bringing trams back to the city.
He’s Chair of Bath Trams and a regional officer of the Light Rails Association. Just recently he has taken part in a webinar organised by a group who are campaigning for a light rail solution to the long standing traffic problems in the city of Galway in the Republic of Ireland.
He’s also very keen that councillors in Bath and Bristol should watch the webinar recording as it reinforces why people like him think bringing back trams would be a much better way of enticing local motorists out of their cars.
The Webinar, which was fully sold out with over 300 attendees, including 30 politicians, was chaired by Professor Padraic O’Donoghue, Professor of Civil Engineering at the National University of Ireland, Galway, and opened with a recorded message from Irish Transport Minister Eamon Ryan.
Then followed a scene setting talk by David Andrews, Chair of Bath Trams and a regional officer of the Light Rails Association, LRTA who explained with evidence why trams have been so much more successful than buses at attracting drivers out of their cars and thus reducing congestion and pollution. He also outlined BBATA’s success in getting the West of England Combined Authority (WECA) and Bath City Council to consider trams for four routes. Buses are essential as tram feeders routes and for rural areas he stressed.
The next two presentations from Andreas Hildebrandt, Press Officer, Freiburger Verkehrs AG, and Ulf Stohmayer, Professor of Geography, NUI Galway (and former native of Freiburg), showed how the German town of Freiburg had made trams the backbone of its public transport and had been highly successful in reducing car blight and encouraging active travel.
Presentations from Nick Mallinson, CEO, Black Country Manufacturing Organisation (BCIMO), Nicola Small, Senior Rail and Very Light Rail Programme Manager, Coventry City Council, and Brad Read, President TIG/m , Chatsworth, California ,USA, outlined how innovative Very Light Rail (VLR) systems are making trams a viable solution for smaller cities and towns.
Brendan Holland, Chair of GLUAS Light Rail Committee, formally closed the Webinar with his concluding thoughts on the Webinar, Feasibility Study and the Light Rail solution to Galway’s chronic traffic problems
David Andrews said “Any small town or city wishing to cut the blight of car congestion and to cut carbon emissions should look at this short webinar to see how to achieve this. I just hope that councillors in Bath and Bristol can watch the Freiburg videos and they will see the truth of our campaign to reinstall trams in Bath and Bristol”
The Webinar can be watched on Youtube at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ITnpNhfL_GE
GLUAS Light Rail for Galway Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/GluasLightRail/
Bath and Bristol Area Trams Association: https://bathtrams.uk/
For further information on BBATA, contact David Andrews: tyningroad@gmail.com
