It was reported by the Herald Sun (April 13, 2021) that a global supply shortage (of wheels) has affected Melbourne’s trams and will force many services off the rails, with authorities “scrambling to source new wheels from abroad for the fleet”. According to the report, from this week, trams in need of replacements will be gradually taken off the network and could side-line up to 23 vehicles until shipments begin arriving at the end of the month.
This problem would not have occurred had the wheels been made locally. It exposes the folly of relying extensively on foreign companies and supply chains for critical components that could and should be supplied locally. But why did it take Yarra Trams so long to identify this problem? It is a reminder of the importance of getting the basics right – of properly maintaining the existing system and having the systems in place to make sure it happens.
It is also a reminder of the need to get our priorities right: to focus first on getting the existing system working as well as possible before embarking on glamorous new mega infrastructure projects. This includes many mundane and practical things that are critical for service delivery but do not provide opportunities for politicians’ names on brass plaques.