Will we actually see horse trams run again in 2024? There is a chance they won’t be operated according to Infrastructure Minister, Tim Crookall MHK, as he was unable to offer guarantees over the future of the historic Tramway Terrace, the condition of which has been a concern for some time.
You may have a major sense of de ja vu (the Douglas Bay Horse Tramway seems to do that to you in recent years!) about all this as it was last year that there was a bit of a saga over Tramway Terrace. This is a building which is just by and in front of Summerhill Stables where the trammers who pull the horse trams live during the operating season.
Last year horse trams stopped running a couple of weeks early after the Department of Infrastructure stated that the building was to be condemned and it was not safe to still use the stables. With the building being historic this led to a lot of complaint and eventually the DOI reversed their decision and agreed to looking at repairing the building.
But now it seems things have changed again. Despite the fact that a survey last year said the building could be saved, the latest seems to be that a Conservation Engineer is to be appointed who will review the site’s condition (in what must be at least the third review of its condition in less than a year) and after that a decision will be made on how to make the building safe again.
Its hoped that there will be a conclusion before the start of the 2024 horse tram season but Mr Crookall is also on record in Tynwald as stating: “If that site is not fit for purpose and is not safe to enter then the horse trams won’t run. I do not think that will be the case, but that’s the bottom line.”
Just get the FULL line rebuilt, or are you trying to find an excuse to close the whole thing down Mr. Crookall???
Why can’t I think of anything nice to say about Mr Crookall? One thing that he seems very good at is appointing consultants who report on the reports of previous consultants etc etc. If that’s not a waste of money then I don’t know what is.