Sir – No, we don’t need trolley buses in Oxford (Letters, November 15). This brings us back to old problem of ugly, overhead wiring systems, ruining the vistas of our beautiful buildings!
There also wouldn’t be ‘utter turmoil’ in the city, if just a simple power rail is installed, say one foot to no more than two foot in height, running alongside the tram route (but of course not exposing the general public on the pavement side to any power dangers !).
In addition, there would be safe crossing at well thought out points on the route, where the power could still be obtained by the trams, when its supply would go underground at that short crossing point (probably with tramways inventions today, the tram would be charged enough that it still moves over those little gaps with power accumulated. This system would not need the upheaval of digging up sewer, water or gas systems, on a just above ground type of power rail.
Surely, even considering the old city and its ancient being that we have here, getting together the talents of our university engineering department, experts in tramways, etc, to pursue a system with Oxford in mind is not impossible in this 21st-century world of so many inventions.
Peter Berry, Oxford
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