Your article (Vienna’s public transport is the envy of the world – so why can’t it ditch cars?, 6 May) is a real challenge for UK politicians and policymakers.

In March, Create Streets, Freewheeling and the Campaign for Better Transport, supported by the RAC Foundation, published the report Towns and Trams, advocating the use of trams to unblock city congestion, as in Vienna. Sadly, the tram scheme for Leeds is on ice until the late 2030s.

Trams give 90% of the benefits of metros at 10% of the cost. For the cost of the Elizabeth line, London could have a world-class tramway over 1,000km long, more than twice the length of the tube network.

Even in London, bus use has been declining by about 1.5% a year, despite efforts to attract more trips. Department for Transport data shows that 25% of tram passengers have left a car at home.

A team in Southwark is trying to promote an initial tram line between London Bridge and Denmark Hill, serving three major hospitals, but there are still legal and institutional hurdles to overcome.
Prof Lewis Lesley
Liverpool