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PRIORITY MEASURES

Trams can operate amongst other road traffic without danger and will give no worse a service than any other vehicle in the same circumstances. However, because the tram has better acceleration and braking characteristices than a bus, carries more passengers at peak loading and can load and unload faster, it stands to benefit much more than a bus from a degree of priority over other road vehicles.

The priority measures which can be given to a tram are more effective, and give better security against sucessful abuse by motorists, than a bus lane.

• Reserved tracks can be laid in grass or textured surface - separated, if necessary, from other traffic by a low curb. This deters motorists but forms no great barrier to pedestrians who may need to cross the road.
• Tracks approaching a traffic-light-controlled junction can be placed in the centre of the road, giving the tram a prime position in the queue. This can be further enhanced by separate traffic signals for the tram which allow it to cross ahead of other vehicles.
• The narrowness of a tramway allows it to be taken through small gaps, close to buildings and in other areas which would be impossible for buses. This makes possible the by-passing of certain junctions altogether.
• Traffic lights at a tram crossing point can be activated by the approach of a tram. In conjunction with 'box junction' markings, this ensures the tram can cross a road unimpeded.
• Similar traffic signals can be used to give priority to trams at traffic roundabouts, which they preferably would cross straight through the middle.
• Local by-laws, carefully drafted and enforced, can make obstruction of tram tracks an offence or permit the tramway company to claim for lost revenue from the obstructer.

The success of a tramway service, particularly in terms of its ability to attract motorists out of their cars and reduce road traffic, can depend strongly on the level and suitability of the priority measures given to it. A local council which is genuinely interested in road traffic reduction will ensure that optimum tram priority measures are applied wherever necessary.