It's really nice to hear from you and you make such good points, especially over London and the south east getting much more spent on them for transport, per head, than other regions and countries of the UK. The billions now going on trams for us will help to redress the balance! But, it's an immoral priority for public spending, in my opinion, when the poor will be in ever greater difficulties as energy prices rise this year and in subsequent years.
I do genuinely like Andy Street who is a left wing Conservative. He has given me a number of opportunities to speak to him in person, including at his 'Ask Andy' public meetings since 2017 when I first met him. I voted for him in 2017 and 2021, too! However, lovely man as he is, he doesn't get it. He maintains that multi-modal transport of trams, buses and trains are essential to get people out of their cars and onto public transport. But all the experts have been saying that about Brum ever since I first arrived in the city in 1967 but, by 1960, they had destroyed the complete tram network and had started to do the same with the urban railway network that was no longer in use!
The other problem is the impossibility to reverse the 40 years old tram project. No one in authority has the guts to question the conventional transport wisdom. It's been grinding on forever, everyone is transfixed and paralysed with the whole thing. And, anyway, it gives work to so many. The engineers love the challenge of building it, too.
The public love the new trams, their prestige and the shocking over indulgence involved. I love trams, too! But, it is all vanity and makes public transport slower with more changes and clogs up the roads. As a cyclist I have to be wary not to get my wheel dropping into the track rut. Another hazard to look out for!
Always lovely to hear from you.
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