Bombardier Guided Light Transit

There has been disagreement about whether they should be called "trams",[4] for that reason and also because they are capable of being steered and operating independently of the guidance rail, using auxiliary diesel engines.

On the GLT line in Nancy, more than one-third of the 10 km (6.2 mi) route has no guide rail, and steering is controlled entirely by the driver on those sections.

With two articulation points and a total length of 24.5 metres (80 ft 5 in), GLT vehicles are shorter than most modern trams, but long compared with conventional buses.

[4][5][6] Nancy's fleet of 25 GLT vehicles used dual trolley poles to collect and return their electric power, in order to allow the use of existing wires constructed for use by the town's previous generation of trolleybuses and to permit operation, where desired by the transport authority, away from the guide rail.

Another advantage over trams, which was particularly of interest to planners in Nancy, is that rubber tyres give significantly more traction than steel wheels, and so can be used to climb steeper hills, up to a grade or slope of 13%.

[8] Compared to buses, the use of a guidance rail allows GLT vehicles running in parallel lanes to pass closer together than drivers could safely steer.

They can also draw up to level, tram-like platforms that allow for easier boarding, and give access to passengers dependent on wheelchairs without requiring the time-consuming deployment of ramps or 'kneeling' systems.

[13] A standard tramway, by contrast, can easily accommodate vehicles from multiple suppliers; Nancy's neighbour Strasbourg, for example, has chosen the Alstom Citadis tram to supplement its existing Eurotram fleet.

[citation needed] GLT vehicles are legally considered buses, and they must bear number plates, rear-view mirrors and lights.