Several new safety features are continuing to be installed along the tramway in Edinburgh in the aftermath of the RAIB report into the tragic death of Carlos Correa who died when he was struck by a tram at Saughton in Edinburgh as he crossed the tramway. Various pedestrian crossings on the reserved sections of the tramway are seeing the installation of these new features which include anti-trespass rubber pyramid pads, traditional cattle type grids and chicane bollards to warn pedestrians as they approach the tramway.
Traditional cattle style grids are in place here to dissuade pedestrians from taking a walk along the tramway. Metal sheeting has also been applied on the track beyond here, a previous safety feature recommended at tram stops by the RAIB with stops in Blackpool seeing something similar.
Bollard chicanes are also being put in place warning pedestrians that they are approaching the tramway and hopefully causing them to show a little bit of caution before marching out onto the tramway.
As most people nowadays have head down signs have also been placed on the ground warning that they are approaching the tramway. 253 heads to York Place in the background. (All Photographs by John Hampton)
As an ex safety officer, the adage we adopted was “you can’t put a price on a life”. Nevertheless, methinks this is a case of “gross overkill”.
I would be interested to hear the views of other UK tram operators on these measures taken by Edinburgh Trams.
Perhaps this is in response to particular local problems of trespass or carelessness. As a similar example after a fatal incident a 20mph speed limit was imposed at Drayton Lakes nature reserve stop on the Cambridgeshire Guided Busway after a woman missed the previous stop and got off in the dark, crossed the line to catch a bus the other way, seemingly did not see the lights of an oncoming bus and was killed by it. It seems vehicles on tracks are given more warning signs and speed limits than are applied to unguided road traffic which is potentially more dangerous. One can see the tracks, and, barring derailment, the train, tram or bus cannot stray from them.