If the planned additional tram lines become operational (and at this stage that's still a big assumption) then they may well ease congestion in the city centre. But perhaps only because the Workplace Parking Levy, the Congestion Charge or any other form of tax imposed on the car user mean that people won't be able to afford to drive into the city and workers and employers will go elsewhere.

Thinking closer to home, do you or your neighbours commute into the city each day, and would the tram get you close to where you want to go? Especially when you don't want to just travel directly to and from work, but need to also go somewhere else as well.

So, are you likely to be able to switch to the tram?

If you don't live within walking distance (around 500m) of a tram stop, how would you get to one? Drive, and park your car? Would you have to catch a bus, or even two? How much more would that cost you, in time, money and flexibility.

Will it ease congestion where you live? That's doubtful. A tram crossing main routes every few minutes will undoubtedly cause more congestion than it saves. Then there are the other effects; for example, even a few extra cars parked around stops or forced into side streets in residential areas would cause serious local congestion. NET's answer to this is that they will introduce a resident's parking scheme. But costs and arrangements for policing such schemes become another so far uncosted overhead - if they get policed at all!

The Queens Drive route suffers less from the above issues, and actually alleviates many by providing more destinations that the CW route does not!