THE primary aims of the tram are to significantly improve public transport capacity and reliability, attract car users to public transport – reducing traffic and congestion – and to provide a public transport system that serves west London’s community, sustaining and regenerating its economy.

The tram would form part of an integrated transport system for west London linking bus, tram, tube and train.

West London has a thriving economy – however there are areas of deprivation with high levels of unemployment. Dormers Wells ward in Southall is ranked in the top eight per cent of deprived wards nationally while White City and Shepherd’s Bush has the highest unemployment rate (12.4 per cent) in the Hammersmith and Fulham borough.

The tram will run close to these areas linking them with established town centres and areas of regeneration such as the Southall gas works site.

Today the Uxbridge Road suffers from congestion. Buses now travel at about 13kpm and it is likely that as congestion increases the buses will get slower, car journeys will be more frustrating and air quality will get worse.

Public transport, cars, lorries and cyclists all have to share a road that goes through some very narrow points like Acton.

Roads around the Uxbridge Road already suffer from unwanted traffic. If no action is taken then congestion will simply continue to increase and the delays, pollution and rat-running will continue to rise. A tram will help west London by: •Decreasing car use. In Manchester traffic has fallen by 10 per cent, in Croydon by per cent.

•Increasing public transport use. In Croydon 19 million people are using the tram. In Manchester more people are using public transport – before the tram was in place 7.5 million used the buses, now the tram is established 17.2 million people use public transport.

•Supporting the local economy. In Croydon new businesses and jobs have been created in areas that were previously under-developed.

•Trams are easy to use with level boarding providing improved access for wheelchair users, people with mobility problems, heavy shopping or children’s buggies.

We are in the midst of consultation on the tram and good progress is being made on the design of the route with very useful input from members of the public. We will report back on developments later in the year. If the tram is introduced then Ealing borough will provide a more reliable, efficient service for local people.

Tim Jones, project director, West London Tram