Some European tramways may run like clockwork, as does the GC line generally, but none of those places I expect have to handle a road like Chapel/Church Streets in Melbourne.

As for your suggestion, it is nearly 24 years since I left the job in Melbourne and I return there for a week or so roughly every 12 months. I usually ride at least a couple of the lines I used to drive to see what has changed.

Regrettably in all that time, I have to say very little of benefit to the trams.

In a few places there is a ‘5 second’ T light slotted in between traffic light phases which never used to be there, most of the tram stops on St Georges Rd have right side boarding now and maybe there are a few other operational improvements, but in general, next to nothing.

However the unstoppable march of traffic lights where there used to be roundabouts has done nothing but delay trams further.

So expecting some sudden changes in attitudes particularly by traffic light programmers is not something I expect to see in my lifetime in view of the negligible progress in 24 years.

Thus my suggestions which could be implemented in months with a faster ride in mind for passengers at least at times of lighter traffic.

To give some idea of how things have gone backwards, around 1990 we got 40 minutes to get from East Brunswick to St Kilda Beach and be ready for the next departure. Now at 3am it takes 46 minutes. And you can’t blame traffic at that time of the night.

So essentially you are voting for the status quo.

Regards,

> On 14 Jan 2018, at 7:45 pm,prescottt@... [TramsDownUnder] TramsDownUnder@...> wrote:

>

> Any number of European operations run like clockwork. Abandoning timetables isn't the answer. The answer is to sort out the issues with the operating environment until the trams run on time. That's up to government. The operators have to keep telling the government what the problems are until they're all addressed.

>

> Tony P

>

>