Chiefs cut the cost of city's trolleybus scheme

TRANSPORT chiefs have shaved 15 per cent off the cost of Leeds's proposed trolleybus scheme in a bid to save it from the axe in next week's Government spending review.

The proposals – recently put to Transport Minister Norman Baker – would cut the cost of the Government's input to just below 200m.

Metro, which is responsible for public transport in West Yorkshire, has identified potential cost savings including cutting the amount of roadworks and combining street lighting with overhead trolleybus poles.

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Ways of increasing local funding contributions have also been pinpointed involving borrowing against future income from the project, private sector investment and support from the Leeds City Region Local Enterprise Partnership.

Metro chairman and Bradford councillor Chris Greaves said; "The scheme has long met the Department for Transport's own value-for-money standards and recently we put forward proposals to Transport Minister Norman Baker to save a further 15 per cent off the scheme's costs. This reduction of 35m would bring the Government's input down to just below 200m."

Coun Greaves revealed the potential cost cuts as he and Gary Williamson, chief executive of Leeds, York & North Yorkshire Chamber of Commerce, wished campaigning group 38 Degrees success ahead of delivering a petition to save the trolleybus scheme to Danny Alexander, Chief Secretary to the Treasury, and Transport Minister Philip Hammond.

The group, a non-party aligned organisation, started the petition calling on the Government to save the scheme in the summer.

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Mr Williamson said: "Transport is a key driver of productivity and improvements to the local transport infrastructure are crucial to future success of our city's economy and businesses.

"The Chamber's own transport consultation highlighted the business support for the scheme and I hope that the Government sees sense and maintains this vital funding".

Leeds resident and 38 Degrees member Stephen Belfield said: "Cutting the trolleybus would be a false economy – bad for Leeds, bad for jobs, and bad for the environment."

Metro and Leeds City Council developed plans for a trolleybus network to ease congestion when the Government turned down plans for a Supertram project in 2005.

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The Labour government approved the new scheme, costing a total of 254m, in March but it is on hold pending the expected savage cuts in public spending.

Under the original timetable, construction was to begin in 2013 with the first trolleybuses running in 2016. This will now be delayed, even if the Government gives the go ahead.

A study by the Campaign for Better Transport has found that Leeds ranks 14th out of 19th in a league of cities assessed for reliance on the car. Nottingham, which has a tram system, ranked top for least dependency on car journeys.

The proposed Leeds system would provide frequent journeys into the city centre from park- and-ride sites on the outskirts of the city.

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The system of electrically-driven buses, powered by a network of overhead cables, is modelled on those in Athens and Lyon. Journey times for commuters coming into the city would be quicker. Metro estimates 2,000 new jobs would be created as well as other business opportunities.

The northern route would run from the city centre to Hyde Park Corner, then to Headingley, West Park, a park-and-ride at Bodington and then along a 2.5 mile extension to Holt Park. A southern route would go to a new park-and-ride site at Stourton, via Clarence Dock and Hunslet.

The trolleybuses would require no tracks in the road, using instead ordinary car wheels and tyres.

They would have segregated routes and be given priority at junctions.

Low-carbon boost from 15m fund

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A 15m Government fund will help save up to 50,000 tonnes of CO2 by allowing local authorities to buy new hybrid and electric buses.

The winners of the second round of the Green Bus Fund, including Stagecoach Yorkshire and East Yorkshire Motor Services Ltd, will be able to buy about 170 new vehicles.

Local Transport Minister Norman Baker said: "Low- carbon buses use at least 30 per cent less fuel and emit nearly a third less carbon than a conventional bus, yet they currently make up just 0.2 per cent of buses on the road."