Accessibility Update - Q2 2016
Wednesday 20 April 2016
Stop upgrades
The following tram stops have been upgraded to level access stops:
- Victoria Street at Lennox Street (Stop 20, Routes 12 & 109)
- Victoria Street at North Richmond Station (Stop 19, Routes 12 & 109)
Acland Street Terminus will be upgraded to a level access stop within the next few months.
E-Class trams
Route 86 has been announced as the next route to receive E-Class trams. They will begin running from November. At the time that E-Class moves to Route 86, Route 11 will be our fourth line serviced with 100% low floor trams.
A consultation session was held on Thursday 24 March at Bombardier in Dandenong, to gather feedback on proposed additional handholds and the addition of Load Bearing Back Panels.
A report has been prepared for consideration from Transport Safety Victoria.
Website updates
Some customers have reported being given wrong information from the call centre regarding accessible stops on the tram network. Updates have been made to both the Yarra Trams and Public Transport Victoria websites to ensure information is up-to-date.
Yarra Trams Advisor, Accessibility & Standards made a presentation to the team leaders at the call centre on how to find information on where low-floor trams run and where accessible stops are located.
The presentation was well received, with future presentations likely to take place.
Rhino safety campaign
The latest Rhino safety campaign was launched on Monday 22 February. This version of the Rhino campaign has two focus points:
- Drivers - advising them that trams can weigh more than 30 rhinos, and the importance of checking for trams and cars before changing lanes, turning or performing a U-Turn
- Customers - advising them that sudden stops are sometimes necessary, using the tagline 'You never know so don't let go'
New Preston Depot now in operation
The New Preston Depot ran its first tram on Sunday 27 March.
A community open day was held on Sunday 17 April, where members of the community had the opportunity to explore the depot and maintenance facilities.
Reminder - we can run tram familiarisation sessions for customers in mobility aids from New Preston Depot. If anyone would like to book in a session, please contact customer feedback on 1800 800 007.
Monday and Tuesday mornings are best for tram and staff availability. If these times don't suit, please propose a time that does and we'll see what we can do.
Try before you ride - Wednesday 13 April
A 'Try before you ride' multi-modal event was held for special development schools at the Box Hill Terminus. Train, tram, bus, V/Line coach, accessible taxi and the PTV hub were all in attendance.
We had approximately 120 school students participate. Students and teachers were very excited for the opportunity to explore the different public transport vehicles and learn about safety.
iBeacon
iBeacon technology is being trialled along Route 5 to see how it works with tram infrastructure. It is hoped this technology could help customers with vision impairment navigate the tram network.