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Rima Ahmed takes the bus into Leeds and tries to find out why it is \u201cthe biggest city in Western Europe without a mass transit system\u201d.\nRima meets passengers, campaigners and history buffs as well as local politicians to delve into why the city has had so many failed attempts to improve its public transport system since its tram was abolished in 1959.

Leeds was a transport pioneer - it introduced the first electric trams and trolleybuses in the country. In the 1970s and 80s, local councillors proudly declared Leeds \u201cthe motorway city\u201d hailing the building of a massive urban motorway right through the city centre. In the 1990s, Sheffield was already building its supertram network and Leeds was also asking government to fund its own version. Despite funding being approved in 2001, \xa370 million had been wasted by the time Leeds\u2019s supertram project was pulled by Transport Secretary Alastair Darling in 2005. A \u201ctrolleybus\u201d scheme mooted in 2012 was also scrapped.

Now, the citizens of Leeds have been told that, if they are lucky, they may get a new mass transit system by 2040. Work may begin sometime by the end of the decade. In the meantime, the commuters of Leeds continue to live life in the bus lane.

Presenter: Rima Ahmed\nProducer: Johnathan I'Anson\nSound mix: Craig Boardman\nProduction Co-ordinator: Janet Staples\nEditor: Nicola Addyman