The city of Linz in Austria has a population of 245,000 and 45 per cent of its public transport is tram operated.
Linz has always believed in trams. The public likes having a tram every three minutes during the rush hour.
More than 120,000 people reside within walking distance of a tram stop. Trams are computer-regulated and movement of all vehicles, including buses, is monitored.
Brighton and Hove City Council and those who think trams are not the answer should note Croydon's trams carried 18 million passengers in 2001, exceeding expectations when the service started two years ago. Traffic is increasing at two per cent a month.
I am concerned the electorate could reject a tram system through ignorance because they know little or nothing about public transport.
The council can bury its collective head in the sand and do nothing, which means worse traffic congestion.
The US had this problem 25 years ago and invested millions of dollars in tram systems. More are planned. Before I retired, I worked on Brighton Transport for 27 years.
-Mike Walsh, Nesbitt Road, Brighton
