Just sticking to Adelaide on its own and without recommending O Bahn as a
solution anywhere else, the Adelaide O Bahn has been extremely successful
in addressing a transport need in the NE of that city. It's the most
patronised single public transport service anywhere in Adelaide, while
patronage of the tram line to the SW has stagnated for years. All of
Adelaide's tram patronage growth has been around the CBD region. So,
creating an impression that the O Bahn has "failed" while the tram has
grown from strength to strength in Adelaide (which it has in the city but
not on the Glenelg corridor, the SW equivalent to the O Bahn's task)
creates a completely erroneous impression.

The focus in any tram vs bus debate needs to be on capacity. The O Bahn
happens to have the capacity required for its job, but if demand on any bus
corridor grows too large, then buses simply become inadequate and you need
trams or trains. There should be no buses vs trams debate at all - they're
different horses for different courses. If somebody is pushing for a bus
solution, ask them if they're wanting to move more than around 3,000 people
per hour per direction along that corridor. If they are, then tram is the
answer. If they're not, then bus is OK (subject to future growth). Any talk
about trackless trams etc is just smokescreen. All of those gizmos are just
articulated buses in fancy panelling and should be called out as such. If
anybody says trackless tram or rubber-tyred tram to you, just say "oh you
mean an articulated bus?" and watch them get annoyed ;)

Tony P

On Wednesday, 12 June 2019 10:23:38 UTC+10, Brent Efford wrote:
>

>

> Even the O-Bahn mechanical guidance system used notably on one route in

> Adelaide (O-Bahn Busway -

> https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=1&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=2ahUKEwih9ZSB_K3iAhUTiHAKHTtNCKMQFjAAegQIBBAB&url=https%3A%2F%2Fen.wikipedia.org%2Fwiki%2FO-Bahn_Busway&usg=AOvVaw0VsC2yJrjjdX0JoCBZeRCB

> Wikipediahttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/O-Bahn_Busway) since 1986, and

> urged by Wellington anti-rail forces (certain politicians and the bus

> industry) to replace trains on the Johnsonville Line in 2006, has failed to

> take over the transit world. Instead, including in Adelaide, where the

> tramway continues to expand (depending on the political complexion of the

> state government), light rail in various forms, including local streetcars

> and tram-train, continues to be the fastest-growing public transport mode

> worldwide.

>

>