Light rail: the real solution …

David Jones The light rail debate

I think most of the proponents would never ride on it as a commuter and those that it would service don’t seem to be interested. People want convenience, they are not going to change vehicles if they can help it. The major problems are the high infrastructure cost and the likely lack of patronage. As an accountant I hate waste of all types.

My suggestion is based on incurring the least amount of additional capital expense but using the installed rail system to the maximum.

I propose:

1. We use the rail route as a one-way (in in the morning and out in the afternoon) bus route. The bus could travel around the suburbs near the rail and enter where most suitable and then an express route to the city. Empty buses could travel easily back on the road with the light traffic. This would avoid the problems, costs and dangers of passing bays on the rail system.

2. Each bus would be adapted by having a rail wheel attachment as rail repair vehicles. Simple technology available off the shelf.

3. If sufficient parking could be allocated to some station people could join their bus at the station but if this was not practicable then the bus could pick them up at another suitable location.

4. The advantage of this proposal is that once on the bus you would not have to get off and transfer to another vehicle and end up in the Hobart depot away from the city centre. Once the bus reached the end of the line they could drive around the city to let passengers alight close to work.

5. The cost of upgrading a vehicle would be considerably less than having purpose built vehicles. Any new bus could be diesel/electric with the rail guide wheels built into the design.

6. Each bus could have a proximity radar attached to cruise control which would allow an automatic fixed distance from the next vehicle. This would increase both safety and carrying capacity of the system. The average speed would be greater increasing the capacity of the system.

7. Not all buses would be converted and not all buses would use the priority route as some routes would be more efficiently use the road system only.

8. Once on the rail system fuel consumption would be considerably reduced due to the constant speed (no stop start power required) and lack of hills on the rail. The average speed will increase.

9. Buses slow main road traffic in proportion far in excess of their numbers. This is due to their slow acceleration, constant need to stop and pickup or drop off passengers and their size which reduces visability by following traffic. The removal of a considerable number of buses should increase normal traffic flow.

10. The above concept could be tried out with one or two buses for a very modest outlay to see if the service has patronage before embarking on a serious fully fledged integrated system.

David Jones

MNIA CBS RTA.