Clippety-Clop Comeback?

Dust off your top hats and steady your ice creams, the horse trams still could be making a full-length return to Douglas Prom.

The business case to finish the horse tram tracks is now under final review, with the Department of Infrastructure hoping to trot it along to Tynwald ‘soon’.

Whether that means soon soon or Manx soon remains to be seen.

Infrastructure Minister Tim Crookall confirmed the update while responding to a written Tynwald question from Douglas North MHK John Wannenburgh, who was keen to know why the horse tram plans had been unhitched from the wider Tramway Terrace restoration project.

According to the minister, it wasn’t a case of favouring hooves over heritage, but more about avoiding delays.

He said: ‘There was a procurement process undertaken to appoint a contractor who is suitably qualified to undertake the Heritage Impact Assessment with respect to the Tramway Terrace Project.

‘So as not to delay the submission of the Business Case for the completion of the Horse Tramway unnecessarily, the decision was made to decouple the projects.

‘The business case in relation to the Horse Tramway is under final review within the Department and the intention is to submit this to Tynwald at the earliest opportunity.’

Supporters say extending the horse trams back along the full length of the Prom would be a huge boost for heritage, tourism and nostalgia.

Critics, meanwhile, continue to question the cost, the timing, and whether Douglas really needs more opportunities for traffic to back up and vehicles to narrowly avoid being gently judged by a horse.

All eyes turn to Tynwald, where the final decision will determine whether the Prom gets its full historic horse tramway back.