ADVERTISING
This is a contentious issue, particularly in an appearance-sensitive
city such as Bath. Suburban tramstop shelters could be partly
financed from the advertising they carry, in the same way as existing
bus shelters do; but, on the grounds of æsthetics, advertising
on city-centre shelters might not be welcome .
The vehicles themselves can carry multiple individual advertisements or could be covered by an all-over advertisement for a single client. Whilst this is common practice on many modern tramways and provides a small but significant proportion of the revenue, its adoption in Bath may be deplored both by groups concerned about the appearance of the city and by enthusiasts concerned about the appearance of the trams. More ?
SPONSORSHIP
This is becoming an acceptable way to raise finance. In most cases it
is dependent on some form of return gesture to the sponsor - this may
range from the naming of a tram or tramstop to ensuring that the tram
route runs to the sponsor's premises.
DUCTWORK RENTAL
Tramways need ductwork along the route of the tracks for power
supply, signalling and control cables. In most cases it is a simple
matter to provide an excess of duct space which can be rented out to
telecommunications utilities who are in need of a distribution
network. In the right circumstances, this can be a lucrative source
of income but probably would not apply to much of Bath.