Horse Trams

[Lonan3]

From this week's Courier:

 

A suggestion the horse tram service could be suspended when the roads are closed for TT racing has been opposed.

Douglas Council's leisure services committee received correspondence from the fire service who suggested the possibility of the service being halted when racing is taking place.

This was due to traffic problems on the promenades, but members believed there were other factors which contributed to the issue, such as the large number of pedestrian crossings, particularly on Loch Promenade, and vehicles double-parking or large vehicles inappropriately parked in the diagonal parking spaces.

There was also concern the fire service was unable to use its sirens when the horse trams were being operated but the committee were informed this should not be a problem for the horses and the tram drivers, on hearing sirens, find a convenient place to stop the tram so vehicles can pass.

Members decided a letter should be sent to the fire service to inform it they felt the horse trams should not be suspended.

 

So, just make a note of this for next June; when you're trying to get home from work and the line of traffic stretches, bumper to bumper, from the Sea Terminal to the Queen's, it has nothing to do with the fact that a coach/lorry can't squeeze past a horse tram - it's because there's too many crossings on the Loch and large vehicles in the diagonal spaces! (In other words, it's the DoT, not the Corpy!)

[ans]

Does anyone actually believe the Horse Trams attract anyone to the Island for Tourism? They're run at a loss aren't they?

 

Shouldn't we just get rid?

[slinkydevil]

Does anyone actually believe the Horse Trams attract anyone to the Island for Tourism?

 

I'm suprised they haven't been a subject for some animal welfare group yet.

[Squaddie]

My personal feelings on this are that the trams were well and good way back when, but the time has surely come for this service to be halted forever. The amount of traffic on the road is surely having a detrimental effect on the health of these animals. I realise they are working horses, but there must be a healthier environment for them to work in. The trams were not intended to run in such heavy traffic and it is quite upsetting to think of the exhaust emissions these horses breath in every day.

[When Skies Are Grey]

Completely off topic...but Squaddies avatar

[do nothing]

If we got rid of the horse trams where else would manx students get summer jobs to pay back their students loans without having to actually graft for their money.

[The Old Git]

It's a pity they couldn't have been incorporated into the prom walkway area somehow rahter than acting as a mobile traffic jam in the summer.

 

The queue behind them at 5.30 on the way home sometimes backs up past the Prom / Broadway with traffic sometimes backed up on Broadway becasue of the jams. When you finally catch up and get past the tram, usually by about Summerhill, you see there's only about four people on the tram.

[Alex]

It's a pity they couldn't have been incorporated into the prom walkway area somehow rather than acting as a mobile traffic jam in the summer.

That's what I think, I like the trams and would use them if they were on the walkway, but it's too dangerous for the horses and the traffic IMO, so I've not used one for years. Could still be done, if the prom was narrowed and the trams moved to where the pavement area is.

 

Either move them or stop traffic driving on the prom full stop.

 

They should definitely be stopped during TT Week though, it's just too busy.