Face of Nation : A warning has been issued to oblivious Sydneysiders that they’re at risk of being hit by trams after a series of near misses during the testing phase.
Disturbing footage shows pedestrians cutting dangerously in front of trams, and cyclists and motorists also getting too close for comfort. In one incident, a car drives along a section of the line beside a light rail stop at Randwick.
As testing of Sydney’s new light rail puts more trams on the road, Sydneysiders are being urged to keep an eye out, check for warning signs and stop staring at their phones as they make their way around the city. Tram testing around the city continues over the coming weeks, while daytime testing in Sydney’s CBD is set to begin within weeks, according to AAP.
NSW Police Assistant Commissioner Michael Corboy urged pedestrians, cyclists and drivers to ditch distractions and be aware of their surroundings. “Mobile phones (and) speakers in your ears, these things are distractions and they’re deadly around trams,” he told reporters.
“We need people to get off their phones, be alert when you’re walking around the city, (and) crossing roads,” NSW Transport Minister Andrew Constance said yesterday. After almost four years, sections of the light rail network are set to open sometime later this year after a number of controversial time blowouts. The milestone comes 58 years after Sydney’s extensive tram network was closed.
“It’s a shame we didn’t keep our tram network like Melbourne,” Mr Constance said on Tuesday. “In time, everyone will look back and go, ‘That was a bit of a mistake’.” The controversial project is due to open to commuters travelling from Circular Quay to Randwick by the end of the year. The line to Kingsford is scheduled to open early next year. The entire project was originally meant to cost taxpayers $1.6 billion, but the bill has now blown out to $2.7 billion.
