Following media reports showing youths “tram surfing” by clinging on to the rear of trams in Nottingham, bosses at Nottingham Express Transit have given a warning over the dangerous act to anyone who may be tempted to follow the trend which has become more popular thanks to a new trend on TikTok.
“Tram surfing” has long been an issue across UK tramways (and beyond). They either cling on to the rear of the tram whilst its moving or, especially in the case of Manchester, ride on the couplings. It is obviously incredibly dangerous and can cause serios injury.
After the reports, Sarah Turner, Managing Director of NET, commented: “We’re aware of the concerning influence of a ‘tram surfing’ TikTok trend which has caused a recent rise in a number of incidents involving young people who have been holding onto the back of a tram while it’s in motion. This is extremely dangerous behaviour that has very serious consequences that could result in death or serious injury, and is not something we’re taking lightly. All of the footage and videos we’ve received of such incidents have been shared with the police who are now handling it as a criminal matter.
“These people are not only putting their lives at risk, but also the wider public and our team of tram drivers. Behaviour like this won’t be tolerated and we are collaborating with the police to identify those involved. The safety of all our tram users, our tram drivers and the people of Nottingham will always be our priority, and as such, we’re committed to ensuring this behaviour does not continue. As part of this, we’ll be reaching out to the schools of those caught engaging in such activity, as well as local schools in the area to educate students of the severity.
“Although incidents of this are usually very rare, anyone taking part in this trend, whether doing the challenge or filming it and sharing it online, is playing their part in publicising an extremely dangerous activity that ultimately could end someone’s life.
“We’d like to remind the public of our strong measures that are in place to keep our network safe, including high quality CCTV cameras in all trams and tram stops, which means that every incident is recorded and handed over to the authorities. Anyone caught engaging in dangerous activities such as tram surfing will face the very real repercussions of their actions.”