'Demand' for cycles on Supertram

TRANSPORT bosses in South Yorkshire are considering allowing bicycles to be carried on the Supertram system.

At a meeting next week, members of the South Yorkshire Integrated Transport Authority (SYITA) are set to decide whether to go ahead with a trial period, in which bikes would be allowed on trams between 9.30am and 3pm during the week and all day on Sundays.

Cyclists could not use the tram on Saturdays or at peak times during the week, and could not use the busy Cathedral to Meadowhall section of the Supertram route at all.

If the trial period does go ahead, the Authority estimates it would cost 2,000 to put in new signs, and 9,700 a month to pay for additional staff.

The move has been welcomed by Sheffield-based cycle training company Pedal Ready, which says there is a huge demand from cyclists to use the trams.

Pedal Ready business manager Max McCulloch said: “At the moment you’re allowed to take a folding bike on the tram, which is more like a piece of luggage, and you’re allowed to take on pushchairs, but you’re not allowed to take a pushbike.

“Some people commute from home to work using their bikes of the whole journey, but some people only want to use a bike for part of their journey. We’d like to encourage people to use bikes for any small part of their journey but, at the moment, this isn’t possible if they use the tram.

“This trial period would be a really good start, to demonstrate just how considerate and practical it would be to have bikes on the tram. We would be very supportive of this, and the demand is there.”

In a report set to go before next Thursday’s meeting of SYITA, David Young, director of customer experience at South Yorkshire Passenger Transport Executive (SYPTE), says the potential impact on “vulnerable” people using the low-floor areas of the tram needs to be balanced with the potential advantage to cyclists.

A survey carried out by Supertram, Mr Young says, showed that bikes could only be carried in three potential locations – the door area, the wheelchair or pushchair area and the fold-out seat area.

He said: “A survey of trams operating at the times and routes proposed showed that on 17 out of 30 trams a wheelchair or pushchair occupied that space on the tram.

“On 28 out of 30 trams one or more passengers occupied the fold out seat area. Typically these were older passengers, those with shopping or those travelling with young children.

“Whilst these passengers could relocate to seating in the central area of the tram this would mean they were forced to negotiate the steps, which some may not wish to do or indeed be able to do in some cases.”

The report adds: “Stagecoach Supertram conclude that the carriage of bicycles conflicts to a much greater extent than envisaged on more vulnerable passengers and as such they would prefer to prioritise use of this space by the elderly, infirm, those with shopping or young children, wheelchair users, those with pushchairs and those travelling with such users.

“In contrast, heavy rail trains have more spaces available for other users with pushchairs and as trains are level, priority seating does not compete with bicycles for space in the same more limited way it does on trams.”

Mr Young adds: “Whilst low risk, there is the potential risk of conflict between cyclists and other customers, especially when a cyclist is asked to make way for other tram users.

“The carriage of bicycles would impact adversely on the limited area on the tram designated for the elderly, infirm and those with pushchairs, heavy shopping or dependent upon a wheelchair.”