Perth Voice Interactive

Trampled

IN response to Mr Papardes’ featured letter last week (“Get on board,” Voice Mail, July 29 2023):

I am unsure if the president understands that the plan is not simply to stick a trackless tram on Scarborough Beach Road sit back and enjoy the traffic, but that significant works will need to be undertaken not only for the ‘stations’ themselves, traffic calming measures that will be required to prioritise the trams but will include significant works to accommodate road widening that will be required in many parts. 

President Paparde is correct in stating that, “With the right investment in transport and infrastructure it will only improve” – the question is whether ‘trackless trams’, or as some like to call them, buses , are the ‘right’ infrastructure, indeed it is not the infrastructure Scarborough residents and ratepayers were advised of in 2016 when master-planning the area when light rail was in fact proposed and shown in video renderings supporting the expansion of the Scarborough Development Zone. 

As a ‘frequent local resident’ and ‘living in the Scarborough Beach Area’ – which one might feel a prerequisite … it is interesting that President Paparde has failed to notice the chaos that the lack of a promised integrated traffic strategy has introduced to West Coast Highway and surrounding roads thanks entirely to continued unplanned, non conforming ad-hoc development. 

Without an integrated transport strategy the trackless tram project is little more than an expensive ad-hoc vanity project. 

The fact that the trams are made overseas is hardly xenophobic and quite probably not Ms Hadley’s intent – simply a further example of bad economic policy that those working in State Government tend to handle quite efficiently.

Simon Wheeler
Scarborough

Not diggin’ it

WELL Mr Paparde, or Mr President (Voice Mail, July 29, 2023), do you acknowledge that the road will have to be dug up to construct 12 platforms, telegraph poles bordering two sides of the road will have to removed, placed underground, pavements removed/reduced if the “artists impression” is anywhere near an accurate portrayal. 

Ie: Tram, Platform, two lanes on either side of Scarborough Beach Road and wide pavements. 

Electric buses can perform the task of taking the hundreds of thousands daily to the golden paradise of Scarborough quicker and substantially cheaper than a trackless tram.

Who is going to operate these trams? The Department of Transport? 

How many drivers will be required?

How many expensive trams are required to provide a good service?

Who will maintain these trams?

Who will clean these trams?

Where will they be stored?

What traffic restrictions will be implemented to cater for trams at lights/platforms, road traffic down to one lane?

An unnecessary expensive journey for ratepayers and tax payers alike.

Roland Hadley
Woodlands
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