"The horse trams are not making heavy traffic on the prom even slower during peak TT congestion times.
Instead, badly parked cars are more likely to be the cause.
That’s the verdict following an experiment this year when horse tram services were halted between 5pm and 6pm during the TT.
Infrastructure Minister Ray Harmer said: ’While it may be the perception of some drivers that the horse trams are slowing cars, it is the view of the tramway staff that it is the cars that are slowing the horse trams.
‘Ticket machine data shows that buses are travelling at the same speed with and without the suspension of horse trams, so there is unlikely to be any benefit to road users in suspending the tram service.’
He said the biggest problem - for both the horse trams and cars - was ‘inconsiderate parking’.
Changes as part of the multi-million pound refurbishment of the promenade would help.
‘Horse trams on the southern end of the promenade will run in a separate lane from vehicles,’ said Mr Harmer.
‘To the north of Broadway, where the trams will continue in the centre of the road, the road will be slightly wider and this will make it easier for road vehicles to pass the horse trams, or, as is more likely to be the case during road closures, for trams to overtake queuing cars.’
Mr Harmer was responding to a written House of Keys question tabled by Clare Bettison (Douglas East)."