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GMPTE visit 2005
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Cllr Roger Jones (Chair)- Cllr Barry Warner, Councillor Audrey Bennett, (Womens' Spokesperson on the Passenger Transport Authority) and Jane Nearney,(GMPTE) went along to have a look at the new Tram System.The Tram Route is 14 km in length.There will be 31stations,There will be 6 Park and Ride Sites providing 2,000 parking places.There will be no charge for parking.
Trams will run between 5.00 a.m. and 1.00 a.m. seven days a week every four or five minutes.
Everyday apart from 1st May.They expect 20 million passengers a year to use the system.55,000 passengers per day including 20,000 students and 17,000 school children.
Cost of system is 290 million euros (£190 million), 21 million euros per km of route.
There will be 20 trams proving the service with two spare.
Each tram will carry 225 people with 164 seats.
The trams run on tyres not rails.This was a political decision.
The System will serve Michelin tyres, shopping areas, business parks, seven sport stadiums, two swimming pools, skating rink. Funding approved in 2002 but public inquiry delayed start of construction for one year.
The 290 million euro system is funded as follows: 20 million euros from europe, 8 million euros from the Government, 15 million euros from each of the three local authorities and 217 million euros through the SMTC raised from the 1.7% business tax that all companies with more than nine employees have to pay. This figure has recently increased from 0.7%. The business tax raises 45 million euros per year and the system will be paid for in five years time.
Businesses were not happy with the increase but following legal advice the increase in the business tax for public transport schemes went ahead.
The first tram will be delivered in November 2005.All trams will be delivered by July 2006 for testing.The System will be officially opened in November 2006
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