Four businesses have requested compensation from Luxtram to date, said the operator's director, André von der Marck, at a press conference on Friday afternoon. This is due to the expected impact on businesses in the station area which will be affected by the construction work, starting this May until the end of 2020.
Businesses set to be affected by the roadworks are able to ask for compensation from Luxtram. The respective commission met for the first time last month to evaluate four dossiers submitted for compensation, said von der Marck. Applications for compensation can be made on the website, with a clear procedure to be followed.
The development will also cause a diversion for all buses starting 13 May, with the new route going from Avenue de la Gare to Rue Jean Origer in the direction of the city centre. Avenue de la Gare will close for car traffic to allow for the diversion, with a cycle path in place for both directions.
Some RGTR and VDL buses will be able to reach certain bus stops through the roadwork area as per current routes. The bus service of Luxembourg City, CFL, and Mobilitéitszentral have launched an information campaign, said Alex Kies of the Ministry of Transport, which will start on Monday. Members of staff will be on hand at different platforms in order to guide commuters and answer questions regarding the bus diversions. The new timetable will be available on the different websites starting from today. The roadworks are expected to last at least a year, ending in late 2020. More information on the tram expansion can be found here.
The president of the union of local interest (USILL), Rita Hermann, expressed concerns over the tram expansion in an interview with RTL, saying resident associations did not think the tram plans had sufficient foresight.
Traffic in the affected area would change to such an extent that the quality of life for local residents would drop significantly. Hermann said that potential solutions to the issue could be diverting traffic underground in order to reach respective motorways, or looking at options such as monorails or cable cars, to relieve the traffic on the ground.
