3 days ago
‘Use your eyeballs': Tram drivers reveal Sydney's worst road users
Heart-stopping footage has shown multiple near-misses between reckless drivers and trams on Sydney's light rail.
The vision, shared by Transport NSW as part of its annual Rail Safety Week campaign, captures the moments cars dart in front of moving trams, motorbikes and scooters cutting across the tracks when it is not safe, and pedestrians almost being run over. The trams' drivers slam on their own brakes in the most dangerous of the clips.
'POV (point of view): you're a light rail driver and you see this kind of stuff every other day,' the compilation was captioned.
'Staying safe around light rails is a team effort, so let this #RailSafetyWeek be a reminder to pay attention to your surroundings when travelling near the tracks.'
Viewers expressed their shock at the incidents, with one woman questioning, 'What's wrong with people?'
'This behaviour puts others in more danger than themselves,' she continued.
'No one should have to worry about leaving their home and not coming back! It's such a lack of responsibility in a country like this. I can't believe some people act like that.'
To which NSW Transport replied: 'People just love not looking both ways.'
'I know the light rail is quiet but it shocks me when I see drivers do these things,' another person commented, prompting the department to respond: 'Use your eye balls (sic) people!'
'People think that (the tram) can stop and swerve out of the way for them,' a third said.
Transport NSW shared similar footage on Sunday, with Transport Minister John Graham urging those near light rail tracks to 'follow the rules to ensure your own safety'.
'These moments are hard to watch because in some cases there is just centimetres or milliseconds from the result being so much worse,' he said.
'It is the right time to remind people that light rail vehicles can't deviate from their path and at 85 tonnes, when fully loaded, they take time to stop.
'Whether you're a pedestrian, a cyclist, or a driver, it's so important to take responsibility for your own safety.'
The CCTV was captured on-board light rail vehicles in Sydney, the city's eastern suburbs, Parramatta and Newcastle.
According to government figures, there have been more vehicle near-misses on the new Parramatta system – which opened late last year – in the past 12 months than other lines, as Western Sydney adjusts to the new format.
According to data from the TrackSafe Foundation, there have been 10 deaths and around 1000 injuries on the national light rail network since 2016, the bulk of them in Melbourne.
