Safety of Citadis trams

Monday 16 July 2012

WorkSafe Victoria has cleared Yarra Trams of any breach of the Occupational Health and Safety Act in relation to the operation of Citadis low floor trams.

A WorkSafe Improvement Notice relating to the rear vision cameras on these trams has now been removed. 

Safety is the number one priority of Yarra Trams in the operation of Melbourne's tram network and we would not operate any vehicle that presents a risk to our customers or employees.

A story in The Age on Saturday 14 July 2012 mentioned that the rear vision cameras fitted to Citadis trams were not effective in all conditions.

Citadis trams have been operating in Melbourne since 2001 without any recorded injuries related to the rear-view CCTV cameras.  This same model of tram operates on tram networks in several European cities.

However, as part of our commitment to safety and continuous improvement, Yarra Trams initiated action when this issue was raised by an Occupational Health and Safety representative at one of our depots.

Yarra Trams has worked with the OH&S representative to keep employees aware of our response.  We also cooperated fully with WorkSafe in order to achieve compliance.

We have trialled several different cameras to find the best model to deal with variations in light levels and weather conditions.  At the moment we are conducting a trial of two different cameras on one tram.

Importantly, if a tram driver's vision of the doors of the tram is obscured for any reason; other safety features prevent the tram from moving should a passenger be caught in the door.

The doors are fitted with sensitive edges which detect any obstruction and prevent the tram from moving.

To prevent delays to the tram service, customers are reminded not to force open the doors of a tram or try to board a moving vehicle.

At kerbside tram stops, please check for motor vehicle traffic before stepping off the tram when the doors open.  If you are crossing from the side of the road, please wait until the tram stops before stepping onto the roadway and be sure to check that traffic has stopped before trying to board the tram.