The location of the tram is relayed via GPS (Global Positioning System). Another feature of this system is the ability to give real-time departure information via internet and mobile phones. This service has been available for tram 9 and bus 25 since January 2002. The HTM (The Hague Tramway Company) has received a price for this service.

The scrolling message boards can be used to give additional information in case of delays. This reduces unnecessary waiting time.

The city region of Haaglanden is planning to gradually increase the number of real-time monitors. These monitors will also be available for RandstadRail (the new light rail connection between Rotterdam and The Hague). The exact number of monitors depends on the cost. The cost of the eight monitors along the route of rail line 15 has been included in the construction costs of this line.

Councillor Andrew Fender, Chair of the Committee and Manchester spokesperson for the Authority, welcomed the development, saying: "One of the things Metrolink has been extremely successful at is getting people out of their cars and on to public transport. Many of the stops along the Bury - Altrincham line have car parks and all of them are extremely well used. There is clearly a demand there to be met and we hope that by providing more spaces at these stops we will encourage more people to think about leaving their cars behind and taking the tram.

"I'm particularly pleased to see that the Crumpsall stop is in line for a 43 space car park - the existing car park on the main road only has about ten spaces and the new Park and Ride will go some way to relieving the pressure on it."

Councillor Gordon Sharkey, Bury spokesperson for the Authority, added: "I am delighted to see that a further 199 parking spaces will soon be made available for Metrolink users on the Bury line. All the schemes have been subject to extensive local consultation during the planning process and received widespread support so I'm sure people living along the Bury - Altrincham line will welcome today's announcement.

"I'm also pleased to see that all the schemes will involve upgrading access to the stops to the latest Disability Discrimination Act standards. Besses O'th Barn in particular will benefit from a new access ramp that will greatly improve access for Metrolink users with disabilities. I also welcome the plans to introduce a three bus turning circle at the Whitefield stop, as this will really help to integrate cars, buses and trams."

GMPTE have undertaken a review of all existing and planned Metrolink stops to identify the possibilities for Park and Ride across the entire future network. A future meeting of the Authority will receive a report on the development of further proposals for Park and Ride along the Metrolink network.

The four schemes approved today have been accelerated as the land is already owned by GMPTE.

MIDLAND METRO PHASE 1 EXTENSIONS

Birmingham City Centre Tramway
This route will extend the existing Line 1 by 3.2 km through the streets of Birmingham city centre, from its current terminus at Snow Hill station to Five Ways, Edgbaston. The Transport & Works Act Order application for the legal powers required for this route was submitted in March 2003 and a total of 138 objections and 8 letters of support were received. A public inquiry was held at the Birmingham Hippodrome Conference Suite, opening on 2nd December 2003 and closing on 13 January 2004. Many of the objections were withdrawn before the inquiry commenced, or not presented. It is hoped that the Secretary of State's decision on the Order will be received before the end of 2004.

Wednesbury to Brierley Hill
This route will branch off the existing Line 1 close to its depot at Wednesbury and run 12km, mainly via a disused freight railway line to Dudley, the Merry Hill shopping centre and Brierley Hill local centre. The light rail route will be mainly double track, with short lengths of single track where necessary to facilitate the re-opening of the freight railway alongside. The Transport & Works Act Order application for the legal powers required for this route was submitted in April 2003. A total of 72 objections and 5 letters of support were received. The public inquiry is scheduled to take place at the Copthorne Hotel in Merry Hill, opening on 23rd March 2004. To date a total of 12 objections have been formally withdrawn and negotiations continue with the remaining objectors.

Implementation
An implementation team has recently been formed to develop the two Phase 1 extensions as a single project to procurement, so that tenders can be invited as soon as positive decisions on the Transport & Works Act Orders are received from the Secretary of State. The current procurement strategy envisages the separation of the design, build and maintain functions from the operational concession. Both routes have a target opening date of 2008.

MIDLAND METRO PHASE II EXTENSIONS

Economic evaluation work on an 80km Phase II network of routes commenced in summer 2002. This work has shown that a slightly reduced size network (60km) demonstrates positive Benefit Cost ratios and operating surpluses. Engineering "Option Selection Studies" have been completed for the routes and a subsequent engineering design commission has been awarded to develop the alignments through Outline Business Case to preparation for Transport & Works Act Orders. An environmental impact assessment commission has also been awarded and a scoping study has been completed. Input will be provided to the Initial Outline Business Case and Transport & Works Act Order submissions to government.

Public consultation on the contents of the Initial Outline Business Case took place during November and December 2003 and early analysis of the feedback shows strong public support for the extension of the network. The results of the consultation were reported by Centro to the West Midlands Passenger Transport Authority (WMPTA) on 2 February 2004, for dissemination to district councils for their endorsement and advice. Following district council consideration the WMPTA will be asked to finalise the routes for prioritisation and inclusion in the Initial Outline Business Case, for submission in late 2004. Subject to satisfactory progress through the Transport & Works Act Order making process these routes have a programmed opening date of 2012 and government Department for Transport funding is already earmarked for the government's contribution towards the funding package for these routes as part of the initial response to the West Midlands Area Multi-Modal Study proposals.
The Wolverhampton Interchange, subject of the LiRa-2 seamless journeys pilot action trial, is situated on the "5Ws" route; one of the Phase II network of routes which could serve Wolverhampton, Wednesfield, Willenhall, Walsall and Wednesbury. The other Phase II routes are planned for radial roads from Birmingham towards the Airport (East), Quinton (West) and Great Barr (North).

MIDLAND METRO PHASE III EXTENSIONS

A number of other routes are in prospect over a longer-term horizon (to open in 2016 or later). However, preliminary development and prioritisation work is commencing on these routes. In the first instance a "track sharing" study is about to commence in partnership with Coventry City Council, Warwickshire County Council, the West Midlands Regional Assembly, Network Rail and the Strategic Rail Authority, to evaluate the possibility of light rail conversion of the Coventry to Nuneaton rail service following the severance of the Coventry to Nottingham route by West Coast Main Line station remodelling work at Nuneaton.

About the same time (May-June 2003), a survey took place among the users of all types of transport within the Brussels Capital Region. About 2300 people were interviewed, 35 % of them used some form of private motorized transport, 50% used some form of public transport, 115 persons used their bike and 232 were pedestrians.

The public transport users indicated the possibility to use just one ticket for all types of public transport as the most positive aspect of the provided public transport, with a score of almost 100%. Comfort, travel time and security were also rated as positive, where as the frequency was rated a bit less, but still positive.

In addition, more interesting still from the point of view of modal shift towards public transport, the availability of a unique ticket for all public transport was rated the most important criteria to start using public transport. Comfort and security were rated second and third. Since the car users had a rather low opinion of connection possibilities, the density of the public transport network and frequencies, where as the public transport users had a more positive idea about them, it might by advisable to organize information campaigns to make car users better aware of the possibilities of public transport.

In order to promote modal shift, car users were in general more in favour of measures that improve the services provided by public transport than of measures that would hinder the use of cars. Especially the availability of parking places remains a sensitive subject, favourable to the use of public transport if handled with precaution (for instance by providing parking possibilities near intermodal exchange points).

Integrated ticketing and fees are thus important instruments to get people out of their car and into public transport. However, comfort, security, density of network, connection possibilities, frequencies and good information may not be neglected.