The ongoing saga of the 'Halfway Horse Tramway'.
“An MHK says a promise to bring reinstatement plans for the Douglas Bay Horse Tramway to May's Tynwald sitting is 'government dragging its heels'.
The tramway currently only runs from Derby Castle to Broadway.
In the House of Keys this week, Infrastructure Minister Tim Crookall said work to reinstate the line up to the Sea Terminal will start within twelve months of Tynwald approval.
Construction is estimated to take 40 weeks.
Douglas South member Sarah Maltby has put forward a motion calling for the business case to be brought to April's sitting instead.”
Sarah Maltby’s comments can be heard HERE.
and a transcript from the interview is reproduced as follows:
John Moss: MHK Sarah Maltby wants us to get a move on.
Sarah Maltby MHK: I would be encouraged if it hadn't taken nine years to get to this point and have all these different promises that have been made over the years. I put down my motion to the March Tynwald to say we would like to see the business case, the implementation plan, and the fully costed report brought to April's Tynwald. That's eight weeks away. So, for me, that's sufficient time to be able to bring forward a document which we've already been told has been drafted. It's ready to go, and it's been seen by all the necessary people who needed to see it.
So, eight weeks already feels like a very generous timescale. So disappointed to hear that the Minister today is indicating that it'll likely be May's Tynwald that we see the information. I do feel like we are just delaying this decision yet again until May, and I will be speaking to that in the March Tynwald.
This kind of historic landmark is really popular all around the world. You know, it's something that we should be really proud of. And the fact that we are still tinkering and just playing around the edges with things, it's just it's just not good enough. By saying, okay, we're ready, we’ll bring it to May's Tynwald, I just think, come on, put your finger out. Let's see it in April…You know, we're ready to see it.