While there is agreement Winnipeg could use rapid transit corridors, there is no agreement yet on the kinds of vehicles that would operate along them.

Coun. Terry Duguid, civic works chairman, says he would like to see electrical-powered buses winging along the corridors, or perhaps a light rail system.

"It would be cheaper in the long run give the availability of clean, cheap hydro power in Manitoba," Duguid, a staunch environmentalist, said yesterday.

But he admitted a light rapid transit system, pegged at about $280 million for the Southwest Corridor, could be very expensive in terms of capital investment.

In addition, they are not flexible, he noted.

Duguid said the Southwest Corridor will likely be a diesel busway in the beginning, although he said he'd prefer Winnipeg converting to more and more electrically-powered buses.

Civic works commissioner Rob McRae said he prefers a diesel busway for the South Winnipeg corridor because of the low cost to build an exclusive busway, estimated at about $75 million.

McCrae added Winnipeg Transit could contine to use its current fleet in the new corridor, construction of which could be started in about two years if city council moves fast on a proposal that would see the private sector pick up much of the capital cost of the system.

Duguid said one of the opponents of the South Winnipeg corridor, oddly, is Mayor Susan Thompson. Thompson, who supported funding for the Graham Avenue Mall last year, opposed the transit corridor which has the support of the downtown busineses including the Business Improvement Zone.

Transit networks in major cities have a combination of buses, light rail, subways and trolleys.

Winnipeg, which dismantled its trolleys in the early 1970s, only has diesel buses.

It's the only city, with 650,000 plus population, without a rapid transit corridor, Duguid and McCrae admitted.

Duguid said this is one reason the city-owned Winnipeg Transit has been losing ridership over the pas number of years.

"We have to be competitive, if not, people will take cars," Duguid said.