Leeds gets the second prize. It is to have a new electrified trolley bus scheme. It did not get a tram. It was politically convenient for the Leeds to have its tram scheme rejected. The cost benefit analysis for Leeds was not that different to the Edinburgh tram scheme. The latter was funded and continues to be a disaster. The Leeds scheme had substantial regional and local support, while the Edinburgh scheme did not have the same level of support. The devil is in the detail , Edinburgh had support in the corridors of power in Whitehall, while Leeds did not . It might be that Leeds got lucky as I feel sorry for Edinburgh. The centre of this beautiful city is being ripped apart and I can only hope the benefits of tram will outweigh this upheaval. Back to the Leeds trolley bus.
The trolley bus scheme is going to be about £250 million. Infrastructure investment is welcomed and will help the construction industry. It will be interesting to see the split in spending between the infrastructure and vehicles. The level of fares will also be interesting. Will this take cars and other vehicles off the road? The jury is still out.
These are interesting times in the transport sector in West Yorkshire. WYTPA has announced plans to regulate the bus services in the region. It is proposing to award franchises rather than have deregulated services. It will be similar to the TfL model. I suppose this ties in with the trolley bus. (More on this later)
If Justine Greening is serious about the importance of Leeds as a regional economic generator then we need to have improved transport links with other parts of the region. This would include improved rail links to Sheffield, Harrogate, Manchester, Hull and York. Improvement on road networks. (more on this later)
Interesting times in Leeds.
The trolley bus scheme is going to be about £250 million. Infrastructure investment is welcomed and will help the construction industry. It will be interesting to see the split in spending between the infrastructure and vehicles. The level of fares will also be interesting. Will this take cars and other vehicles off the road? The jury is still out.
These are interesting times in the transport sector in West Yorkshire. WYTPA has announced plans to regulate the bus services in the region. It is proposing to award franchises rather than have deregulated services. It will be similar to the TfL model. I suppose this ties in with the trolley bus. (More on this later)
If Justine Greening is serious about the importance of Leeds as a regional economic generator then we need to have improved transport links with other parts of the region. This would include improved rail links to Sheffield, Harrogate, Manchester, Hull and York. Improvement on road networks. (more on this later)
Interesting times in Leeds.
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