But there's altogether a little more leg room on the journey to the office for Island sales and marketing manager Peter Beighton.

For he's been the ONLY passenger on the early morning commuter tram from Ramsey to Douglas.

Commuter services have been operating on the Steam Railway and the Manx Electric Railway during working weekdays over the past fortnight in a bid to beat TT traffic congestion.

But passenger numbers have been disappointing.

Around 20 office workers have been using the 7.45am TT steam special from Port Erin.

But on the Manx Electric more often than not Peter, 58, has been the only passenger on the hour and a quarter ride from Ramsey.

Peter, who works at Little Switzerland-based ILS Group said: 'The idea in principle was fantastic.

'But for six of the eight journeys I've been on my own all the way.

'People are creatures of habit – why spend an hour and a quarter on a rattling old tram when it takes 25 minutes by car over the Mountain?'

Tourism Minister Adrian Earnshaw admitted he was 'very disappointed' with the passenger numbers.

WHY HASN'T THE IDEA TAKEN OFF?
Send us your views.

YOUR COMMENTS

Why hasn't the idea taken off? Oh boy I hate to gloat but if the powers that be had not decided that residents could not use their passes ...... I had fully intended using the train with my son but it would have cost us £96 for the 2 weeks (£12 a day x 8) or, if we had bought the 2 week special TT pass then it would have been £84.00. Residents passes are £35.00 each and can be used for the whole season on not only the Steam Trains but the Electric Trams too thus giving value for the money. As we use £20 a week on fuel where was the economic sense in us using the trains? We have left home a little earlier than usual and got to work without any problems, and are leaving early too so it's working well. They came up with a really good idea then shot themselves in the foot - well done as usual!!
CAROL

I live in Baldrine and the tram stop is right at my house. I have not taken the tram as I think six pounds return is outrageous. Granted it is possibly quicker then car or bus but probably only on the return. The traffic has been quite quiet early on so car or bus has been fine. (I have used both). I have not made a return journey at 5pm yet as I have had other things to do after work and travelled home later when traffic has been quieter. Car is £4.50 to park, bus is £3.00 standard return (not on a multi-journey ticket), and both are 'door to door' for me whereas the tram starts and ends at the far end of the prom. I wouldn't have minded the walk along the prom either given all the activity and the weather having been fine but not for six pounds return. If they had charged less and allowed season ticket holders I'm sure the uptake would have been greater. So instead at the moment they have one person paying six pounds return. Whereas if they charged perhaps £1 or £2 they would have had many more people I believe. It should have been aimed at encouraging people out of their cars and on to the train or trams. We (as an Island) are always looking at ways to reduce town centre congestion, not just for TT, and this could have been a way of getting people to try something different. Instead it has came across as a money making exercise which puts people off straight away. This idea had so much promise but delivered so little. Well done whoever was in charge.
PATRICK


Too expensive I'm afraid – our office offered a 7am -3pm 8am –4pm or 9am -5pm policy which has worked very well. I would have used the Tram if it had been cheaper, was quite excited about trying it really – but then saw the price!!
Shame.
JILL

All public transport should be free to everyone. It must cost the DTL a fortune just to account and secure the comparatively small amount of cash they take. Why not scrap fares altogether or maybe issue free passes to IOM residents only?
If that doesn't get people out of their cars then nothing will!
DAVE

As my current cost to Ballasalla would have been just over £9 to use the bus for the TT period, I did not pay the extra £32 odd to use the trains. If I had been able to use a residents ticket for this service, I would have bought one specially. I realise that this service is aimed at car drivers who already pay dearly for parking and car tax, fuel and insurance. It may be a more attractive financial proposition to them to get the train. However, I doubted whether the car drivers would get off their backsides to use the train as they obviously find it too much to walk to or wait around for the bus already, and this has proved the case. They already are inured to long waits in traffic to get into Douglas, so they weren't quite so annoyed as you may think by the extra delays during TT fortnight. I appreciate that the trains and trams are expensive to run, but surely if the fares are too high fewer people will use them and so they become even less cost effective? May I also take this opportunity to say I object strenuously to having to walk the extra distance to the Sea terminal (instead of the Bus Station) to buy the Bus saver tickets? I have to do this in my lunch hour and it takes 10 minutes each way from my place of work (in the financial centre of Douglas) even if I jog most of the way. My son will no longer pop out in his morning tea break to get my tickets for me, as he does not have time to do so because of the extra distance.
LIZ

The comments on this story so far all add up to the tram being too expensive? Let's see shall we, what is needed is a quick calculation: A journey by car in heavy traffic from Ramsey to Douglas x 10 journeys of 40 plus miles over the TT fortnight is probably bordering on 70 pounds worth of fuel if your car does 25 MPG which in slow crawling traffic isn't bad. Plus 4.50 per day to park, another 45.00. Without even taking into consideration car maintenance, we already have a figure in the region of 115 pounds. Add this together with the additional safety of taking traffic off the road (or in this case just one car!), and also the potential safety afforded to those who could be bothered to take the tram, rather than competing on the roads with all the visitors? Perhaps not so expensive after all hey? Perhaps those traveling from Baldrine have a point as cost per mile isn't the same as from Ramsey, but to everyone else, shame on you and well done Peter!
And to all of you stuck in the traffic last night (Tuesday) following accidents on the coast road, I bet I know one person who was smiling quietly to himself whilst taking in the fresh air and views."
ADAM

People commute by crowded trains in busy cities because there really isn't a viable economic alternative. It was obvious to me from the outset this idea wasn't going to work as the cost was deemed too high and the painfully slow journey, the need to have a timetable and, particularly for the electric tram, the disembarkation at the wrong end of the prom were always going to be just too inconvenient. Where was the market research on timetables, fares, the general demand? Sadly, it seems these things don't need to be thought through properly if the taxpayer is footing the bill!
BRIAN

I was all ready to take the train from Port Erin into Douglas every day through TT week, to reduce traffic through the working week. However, the cost was far too expensive to encourage me to do this. I have a free parking space and found it very hard to justify the extra expense. Should the fare have been a more reasonable £2.50 / £3.00 return I would have definately done it. But at the end of the day it was too expensive.
KAYLEE