In many European cities, trams have been popular mode of transportation. Its much cheaper to build than subways or MRTs at the same time easy to access like buses. whats more you dont have to worry much about traffic jams or traffic lights for that matter. However i think its one of the most ridiculous ways to travel, because of the fare. You can pay up to 2.1euros just for a 5 min ride. if you are a student, u can buy a semester ticket for i think 90 or 100 euros per semester and you have unlimited rides with the tram for a semester. However for a person like me, im not really using it often, so it's just a waste of precious money. For people working at the outskirts of Mannheim and living in the city center, its worth while to buy it.
Anyway, regardless of my opinion of the tram service, a friend of mine once ask about how the trams work. I mean, the tracks are in the middle of the road, don't the pedestrians get knocked down or get run over and turned into minced meat? Those questions arise after looking at the picture below.
If you can see, the tram tracks run through the street, the same place cars drive through and people walk. Well, fear now more! the explanation will be presented here!!
The trams run on electricity supplied through the overhead cables as seen in the picture to the left. For entertainment purposes, the trams have drivers and since he is in the front of the tram, he might as well be given a set of controls so he can control the speed of the tram, slow it down and if necessary, give you a decent "ring!!!" (honk for cars) if you wonder blindly on the tracks.After all, it does have the acceleration of a Ferrari but the top speed of a bicycle. And the sound it produces is really cool. like a futuristic train. It sounds like an LRT but the sound engineers have tweaked the sound so it will sound cool and many people want to ride
it. So, if you are in the mood for taking your own life, u can walk within the safety lines that are seen beside the tracks, but of course the driver has control over the tram and will stop the tram before it hits you. However he might ring/honk you to death after that. So for safety reasons, its a good idea to walk outside the safety lines.
If you are not in the mood to spend the night in the hospital or in a coffin for that matter, but you are interested to burn some money and have a ride on the tram, you can buy a ticket at the complicated, "Sprechen Englisch nicht"(dont speak english) ticket machine located at all tram stops. (Sorry, but i didn't have a decent picture of the tram stop, but this is the best i picture i have of the tram stops). However after learning how to use the ticket machine, you will find it quite easy to use. But like i said, its not worth paying 2.1euro just for a 5 minute trip that you can travel with a bicycle. The last tram runs from 6am till 12am everyday (i think). so if you are partying at night, please mind the time. You might end up walking home.
As a conclusion, the tram ride is only worth while if you are using is very often. you can buy 24hour unlimited tickets that is very cheap, but only if you plan to take more than 2 rides on the tram. otherwise its quite expensive for the student wallet. However its a relatively cheap form of infrastructure (in terms of cost to build) and it adds a coolness factor to your city. its also environmental friendly compared to diesel buses since its running on electricity (assuming the source of electricity is fro a renewable energy such as wind or solar). However im pretty sure it wont be built in Malaysia....
Tchuss
Anyway, regardless of my opinion of the tram service, a friend of mine once ask about how the trams work. I mean, the tracks are in the middle of the road, don't the pedestrians get knocked down or get run over and turned into minced meat? Those questions arise after looking at the picture below.
If you can see, the tram tracks run through the street, the same place cars drive through and people walk. Well, fear now more! the explanation will be presented here!!
The trams run on electricity supplied through the overhead cables as seen in the picture to the left. For entertainment purposes, the trams have drivers and since he is in the front of the tram, he might as well be given a set of controls so he can control the speed of the tram, slow it down and if necessary, give you a decent "ring!!!" (honk for cars) if you wonder blindly on the tracks.After all, it does have the acceleration of a Ferrari but the top speed of a bicycle. And the sound it produces is really cool. like a futuristic train. It sounds like an LRT but the sound engineers have tweaked the sound so it will sound cool and many people want to ride
it. So, if you are in the mood for taking your own life, u can walk within the safety lines that are seen beside the tracks, but of course the driver has control over the tram and will stop the tram before it hits you. However he might ring/honk you to death after that. So for safety reasons, its a good idea to walk outside the safety lines.
If you are not in the mood to spend the night in the hospital or in a coffin for that matter, but you are interested to burn some money and have a ride on the tram, you can buy a ticket at the complicated, "Sprechen Englisch nicht"(dont speak english) ticket machine located at all tram stops. (Sorry, but i didn't have a decent picture of the tram stop, but this is the best i picture i have of the tram stops). However after learning how to use the ticket machine, you will find it quite easy to use. But like i said, its not worth paying 2.1euro just for a 5 minute trip that you can travel with a bicycle. The last tram runs from 6am till 12am everyday (i think). so if you are partying at night, please mind the time. You might end up walking home.As a conclusion, the tram ride is only worth while if you are using is very often. you can buy 24hour unlimited tickets that is very cheap, but only if you plan to take more than 2 rides on the tram. otherwise its quite expensive for the student wallet. However its a relatively cheap form of infrastructure (in terms of cost to build) and it adds a coolness factor to your city. its also environmental friendly compared to diesel buses since its running on electricity (assuming the source of electricity is fro a renewable energy such as wind or solar). However im pretty sure it wont be built in Malaysia....
Tchuss
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