WILL it be the Harbour Bridge, the Opera House or perhaps the face of Luna Park?
The trams in Reims, France.
Commuters could be given a vote on the look of Sydney’s new trams so they reflect the character, heritage or personality of the city.
French transport giant Alstom, which is supplying the trams for the CBD to South East light rail, scheduled to begin operation in early 2019, gives its customer cities the option of customising the “nose” or front of their trams.
In the French city of Reims, for example, local authorities gave their citizens the opportunity to vote on the design of the driver’s cab.
About 15 per cent of the residents of the city, famous for its fine champagne, turned out to vote in a community referendum and chose a depiction of a champagne flute.
In oil rich Dubai, a cut diamond shape was chosen to reflect the wealth of the Emirate.
A diving mask was used in Montpellier, a prime scuba diving centre on France’s Mediterranean coast, and Lyons has trams that look like silk worms, a link to the city’s historic manufacture of the luxury material.
In Toulouse, the headquarters of Airbus, the trams are designed to look like the front of a passenger jet.
The state government hasn’t ruled out letting Sydneysiders vote on the design of their own trams.
Alstom’s Christian Messelyn, who headed the Reims tram project, said the vote was conducted on the internet on the tram nose design over a week.
“It was like a small election and was very well received,” Mr Messelyn said.
“About 40,000 people then turned out for the line’s opening ceremony.”
Will Sydney have trams trundling along George Street with a nose shaped a funnel web spider or a giant black arrow, similar to those sewn into the uniforms convicts used to wear?
When asked if she is considering offering Sydney residents an opportunity to have a say in the design of the tram, Transport Minister Gladys Berejiklian was non committal.
“Customers will be using brand new modern and clean light rail vehicles as part of this exciting project,” she said.
“Of course the new vehicles will reflect local needs here in Sydney.”
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