A pair of young Dundonians have launched a campaign to bring trams back to the city.
Harry Main, 22, and Ted Booth, 26, have compiled a 13-page document outlining their plans.
While the pair have no transport or urban design expertise, they sought feedback and advice from experts such as Professor Kevin Tennent of York University, who used to live and work in Dundee.
The inspiration came to Harry while waiting on a bus during Storm Arwen.
He said: “I could see the bus for an hour before I could actually get on it. Because of the traffic gridlock caused by the weather, it was within sight, but couldn’t move.
“It got me thinking of ways to improve public transport, which led me to think about reintroducing trams.”
So who are the plucky pair with big ambitions, and do their plans stand a chance?
Where would the trams stop?
Harry and Ted insist their plan is not just for the city centre and the waterfront transformation, but will encompass “all corners” of Dundee, driving investment in deprived areas.
But the city centre is included, of course.
Stops would include Lochee, the West End and Fintry.
The Kingsway would act as a main route, with Lochee Road linking communities with the city centre.
They devised their routes by looking at unused tram and train lines across Dundee.
Trams ran in the city until 1956.
Why now?
Harry and Ted’s initial goal is to secure a feasibility study, which would explore factors such as impact and cost.
To do this, Harry and Ted have launched a petition to canvas support for their idea.
However, the pair have not factored in how much such a project would cost themselves.
Harry said: “Any estimate we would give would be too low or too high.”
Ted said: “One of the mistakes people make when estimating costs is looking at projects elsewhere, but the costs are very specific to a place or project.
“Our hope is to secure a feasibility study. Costs would be included there.”
The Edinburgh trams project notoriously went overbudget and ran late, with ongoing extensions in Leith causing havoc there.
Harry said that would show which pitfalls to avoid in Dundee.
Ted and Harry claim trams could help deliver the Scottish Government’s plan to reduce car use by 20%.
Who are Harry and Ted?
The pair met during last year’s Scottish election campaign and quickly became friends.
Ted grew up in Dundee, not far from Lochee, and now works for an MSP.
Harry came from a military family so moved a lot during his youth, but has always had relatives in the Tayside and Fife area.
He moved to Dundee about four years ago and is currently studying computer science at the University of Highlands and Islands in Perth.
As the pair began working together on their trams proposal, love blossomed.
As well as being transport enthusiasts, Ted and Harry are now a couple.
Ted said: “Because we worked well together, we naturally flowed.
“But the trams project started before we became a couple.”
“We’ve just got a really good connection. That’s really why it works, I guess.
“We both have different strengths in different areas.”
Do the plans stand a chance?
A Dundee City Council spokesman said the local authority is “not aware of this campaign”.
He added: “The reintroduction of trams in the city does not form part of the Scottish Government’s draft STPR2, which will be presented to the Scottish Ministers later this year.
“This review will help inform their decision on transport investment in Scotland for the next 20 years.”
