Officials have released video footage of these close calls in New South Wales and are urging pedestrians, riders, and drivers to be more cautious near the light rail network during Rail Safety Week.
The campaign comes two months after a pedestrian died when hit by a tram on Sydney’s light rail – the second fatality in the city in two years.
Should Sydney’s light rail carriages be modified after the second death in two years?
People in western Sydney were still adjusting to the new mode of transport and its positioning on roadways, according to the government.
The NSW transport minister, John Graham, urged those near light rail tracks to stay alert and follow safety rules to ensure their own safety.
“These moments are hard to watch because in some cases, there is just centimeters or milliseconds from the result being much worse,” Graham said in a statement on Sunday.
“It is a good time to remind people that light rail vehicles can’t deviate from their path, and when fully loaded, they take time to stop.
The pedestrian who died in early June in Surry Hills was attempting to cross between the first and second carriages of a light rail vehicle before being trapped beneath the tram. Paramedics treated him at the scene, but he died.
Similar incidents have prompted Sydney tram drivers to demand safety upgrades to prevent further injuries or deaths.
Transdev, the light rail’s private operator, stated that there are multiple safety measures in place on light rail vehicles, including camera vision and yellow safety lines.
Sydney has 25km of light rail track, Parramatta 12km, and Newcastle 3km. There have been 10 fatalities and around 1,000 injuries on the national light rail network since 2016.
