- Target:
- Melbournians
- Region:
- Australia
- Website:
- www.nattrust.com.au
The National Trust been campaigning for years to keep a significant number of Melbourne’s unique and iconic W Class trams in operation.
In 1993, the then government promised to keep 53 on the streets, and not to sell the 'surplus' to overseas tourist routes.
In the late 1990s, about 50 were upgraded with new brakes, heaters, and other modern equipment, allowing them to continue in operation.
But now only 12 are used on the City Circle, and of the other 40 that were promised, only 20 are used at any one time on only two routes. The government recently confirmed that these 40 are to be phased out in the next few years.
That means there will be no more traditional cream and green W Class trams running on Melbourne's streets.
In fact, there would be more W Class trams running on tourist routes overseas than in Melbourne.
We the undersigned call on the State Government and Minister for Public Transport not to scrap the 40 cream and green W Class trams.
We believe that retaining only the City Circle is not enough, and that the iconic heritage value and potential for wider use of the W Class trams has not been fully realised.
The 40 should be retained, restored and suitably upgraded, and used on further tourist oriented routes in Melbourne.
You can further help this campaign by sponsoring it
The Save the W Class Trams petition to Melbournians was written by nattrust and is in the category Culture at GoPetition.