Trams? In Leeds? Seriously, get a grip

Apparently we’ve one of those economic crimes calling out to the very heavens for rectification:

After years of dither, in 2005, the Leeds Supertram project was cancelled, with rising costs & public opposition both cited.

The cost? Less than £1bn in today’s money.

Can’t think about this for too long without getting angry.

That billion sounds too low for us. Didn’t Edinburgh manage to spend near that on one single line that takes longer than the bus to get to the airport or something?

Let me tell you the story of the most visible example of economic and political failure in modern Britain.

Leeds is the largest city in western Europe without a mass transit system, and we are all poorer because of it.

That Swansea and Mumbles global first passenger tramway opened in 1807. Trams are, therefore, something of an old transport technology.

Now, true, we are in favour of certain 19th century bits and bobs. Free trade from 1846 is one we recall fondly. But we do think that it’s possible that urban transport has moved on since then. As in, why did Leeds stop having trams?

Instead, Leeds City Council opted to prioritise buses and cars amidst high running costs of the tram network and increasing car ownership.

As available technology changes then technology used changes. Seems entirely sensible to us.

We’re not sure about mass transit itself. On the obvious grounds that where an alternative is possible (as, say, it isn’t given the numbers of people in central London) then people prefer that alternative. That’s why those smaller mass transit systems failed in the past. Folk just prefer that freedom of the car that goes door to door, any door to any door.

But say that a mass transit system really is necessary. We are - no, really, we are, if not next year at least next decade - just on the cusp of robot taxis. Which can - will - provide that any door to any door service without requiring vast expenditure on rights of way, rails and all the rest. If it’s thought really necessary to micturate the money up the wall we could ask for some British designed and built system perhaps. Or we could ask in those who already know how to do this thing to do it for us.

Why not, in this 21st century, use one of the technologies available to us to provide a mass transit system rather than try to implement one from the dawn of the 19th century?

But then as we’ve been known to remark there’s nothing so conservative as a British socialist.

The real solution is very simple:

“Dear Mr. Waymo,

Please send cars.

Yours, Leeds.”

Tim Worstall