The Manx Electric Railway Society has received a deluge of comments following the shock announcement on Friday 22nd January 2016 that Douglas Corporation intend to scrap the world famous Douglas Horse Tramway.
As expected, almost all of those who have taken the trouble to vote on our on-line petitions and post comments, express outrage and disgust at what many see as a very short sighted decision to consign the Horse Tramway to history.
Here is a selection of some of the comments posted on the Residents on-line petition in the days following the announcement.
“Happy for the costs to be shared by all on the island not just Douglas”
”Keep the trams ask the people what they want”
“The most short sighted decision by an Island local authority ever!”
“I think it is really bad what they are doing . There will not be much heritage left on the Isle of Man. What will be next the Tower of Refuge”
“All efforts must be made to save this iconic 140 year old Douglas Horse Tramway, which is a very valuable piece of our heritage on the Isle of Man”
“The horse trams must be kept and ownership transferred to Central Government”
“Good lord try to keep some of the Islands tradition.”
“no more bean counting.....our heritage must come 1st. And responsibility for this iconic attraction should return from Douglas council to the government to maintain our heritage.”
”We should always be proud of our heritage (even the bad stuff) and we should work towards keeping as much as possible alive. This is not just a nostalgic dream, but an important way to learn from and understand our past. Without this we can not hope to create a great future.”
“What next will they want to shutdown”
“Disgusting state of affairs”
“Lets keep this important part of heritage - move the tracks to one side of the road or even cut it to one track with passing places and Also this government should really listen to the Manx public on this one thud I'd another step to far”
“This is a decision that they should not have the power to make”
“Its a historic part of the Isle of Man and a great Tourist attraction, as has it been for 140 years. Ridiculous idea!”
“Part of living history, you need to keep this going”
“I am completely shocked, how can they even think about stopping this wonderful part of our Manx heritage? This must NOT happen”
“Why destroy a great tourist draw and a link to a simpler way of life? And it's fossil fuel free”
“I can't believe they could contemplate getting rid of such a unique service.”
“Enjoyed growing up going on these at summer and my son enjoys them now too would hate to see them go x”
“I am yet to meet a Manx person who agrees with the decision to scrap the horse trams. Surely Douglas council who are elected to represent the views of the public should have consulted with the public. If this goes ahead perhaps the Douglas residents will make their feelings known at the next council elections.”
“It's so relaxing for children with special needs. My son will miss it :(“
”I have grown up with this and the sound of clopping hooves on the Prom every summer. Too easy to get rid of and future generations will judge. Douglas has suffered enough through disgraceful planning decisions, the town has become grey. Our horsetrams bring colour and a sense of stability in a world full of change. To lose them would be disastrous.”
“The powers that be are hell bent on destroying our grandchildrens heritage . Think back some years to the decision to axe the Peel and Ramsey steam lines . Wrong very wrong . In my opinion the steam railway to Ramsey and Peel would be earning the island a small fortune , and attracting many rail fans”
“The MER press release encapsulates my views perfectly. We can't lose the horse drawn trams, they are a massive tourist draw. Kids love them and older people get to travel the prom easier than walking and in fabulous fashion. Don't let our heritage be eroded further, the Island loves these guys, don't let it be scrapped. That's tantamount to being criminal”
“You will always have cars but once these are gone they will never be back, keep them !”
“Please give this historical attraction the heritage status it deserves. It defined my childhood as well as many many others and makes the promenade the iconic destination it is.”
Click the following links to read more comments:-
Manx Tourists & Visitors
Manx Residents Petition
Manx Electric Railway Society Facebook Page