Letters - April 11, 2016

I am trying to imagine the various scenarios:

Two families of visitors, with say two adults and two small children in each family, arrive on the train. It is raining heavily, as it tends to around here. One family takes the tram and the other family opt for a taxi. For those going by taxi, the taxi driver will put the luggage in the boot of the taxi and drop them at the entrance to their hotel. This family only need to know the name of their hotel, not where it is.

The other family, who have chosen the tram, first of all need to know whether their hotel is north or south of Talbot Road, in order get on the correct tram. Then they need to know exactly where their hotel is located, in order to advise the conductor where they will be getting off, or maybe the conductor will be familiar with all hotels along the front, so he or she can select the nearest stop.

Unfortunately, their hotel is right between two stops, so when the tram stops to let them off they will have to walk the rest of the way.

Walking a few hundred yards along the front is quite pleasant on a warm dry summer’s day, but remember they have luggage and two small children to look after and it is still raining heavily.

Eventually, they arrive at their hotel, where it turns out that the other family who took a taxi, arrived at a nearby hotel, almost completely dry, about half an hour ago.

The same works in reverse, at the end of their holiday as well. Just why does the council think that this will be advantageous to Blackpool as a holiday destination?

I am not sure if the £22m figure is the initial cost, or the long-term cost when all the interest has been added. Assuming that it is the overall cost and that the average tram fare is (for easy numbers) £2.20, then 10 million adult paying passengers will be needed to just break even, and a good proportion of those will have walked a few hundred yards and crossed the promenade in the rain, with luggage and small children.

David Squires

Hawes Side Lane

Blackpool

TRANSPORT

There are better options for trams

Reading the article regarding Trams, on Talbot Road (Gazette, April 4), I totally agree with Blackpool cabbies that this will be a big mistake.

I know that they used to be there many years ago (before my time), but that was a different age when the traffic would be a lot less than it is now.

However, I DO remember them on Dickson Road, which was a direct link to North station and took them right past all the major hotels in Blackpool, coming off the Prom at Gynn Square. Dickson Road is a lot wider than Talbot Road, so would this not be a better option?

Malcolm Boyce

Deepdale Road

Marton

TRANSPORT

We need bus station more than ever

There are, no doubt, for and against views regarding the spending of millions of pounds on the tram track extension.

This figure, if other projects round the country are anything to go by, will prove to be conservative at best.

Let’s keep to the nitty gritty! Why is there any need for a 300-yard extension when exactly the same area is already served by numerous bus routes?

Is this extension going to increase traffic flow or make things far worse? Is this extension going to improve footfall in Talbot Road or make things far worse? Why is this extension more important than an obvious urgent need for a Bus Station?Do we know which councillors voted for this extension and why?

A few legitimate answers from the council would be appreciated, as I am sure if there was a vote by residents a bus station would win by a street!

Jack Gledhill

Gainsborough Road

Blackpool

TRANSPORT

No surprise cabbies are against trams

It’s hardly surprising that the licensed cabs are finding any reason to complain about the proposed tram link (Gazette, April 4).

They’ve had almost sole rights to the passengers that disembark from North Station.

Surely I cannot be the only person to have heard the holidaymakers complaint: “We caught a taxi from the station to the hotel and it cost £X, on the way back it only cost £Y”.

X being a considerable amount more than Y.

Name and address supplied

HEALTH

Check your diabetes risk online... now

I urge everyone to check their risk of Type 2 diabetes by getting online and using Diabetes UK’s Know Your Risk tool.

I wish I had been able to go online and check mine. I was diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes 12 years ago, and recognise what a shock to the system this can be.

I am writing especially to urge all Blackpool men to go online and find out their risk.

Diabetes UK estimates there are 1,736 people in Blackpool who have Type 2, but don’t know it.

But diagnosis can make all the difference as it means people can start learning about their condition and how to manage it well.

The Blackpool Diabetes UK Group offer support to people living with diabetes. We meet on the third Wednesday of every month at 7pm in the community room at the Marton Tesco.

The Know Your Risk online tool is at www.diabetes.org.uk/risk and you can find out more about the Blackpool Diabetes UK group at http://blackpool.diabetesukgroup.org/

Vince McNulty

Blackpool Diabetes UK Group