Nottingham Express Transit (NET) has joined forces with the Light Rail Safety and Standards Board (LRSSB) to roll out a national campaign that aims to reduce the risk of collisions between trams and pedestrians walking across the network.
The news comes as Nottingham prepares to welcome thousands to its annual pop-up summer beach, located at the Old Market Square, marking one of the city’s busiest periods of the year.
As part of the national initiative, from Wednesday 09 July locals will see a range of yellow safety boards with the message “Two Lines = STOP” installed at key locations across the tram network. The aim is to remind the public to remain alert and pay attention to their surroundings when walking near all tram tracks, while being mindful of trams travelling in both directions.
The ‘two line’ messaging represents the tracks all trams travel on and will also be backed up by a series of social media posts featured on the NET social channels to help further raise awareness of the campaign.
Connor Hardy, Quality, Health, Safety and Environmental Manager for NET, said: “Each summer, thousands descend upon Nottingham city centre to attend the beach at the Old Market Square. It’s such an exciting time for the city, but for those who either are not familiar with Nottingham or who get swept up in the summer festivities, a one-second lapse in attention could have very real consequences during a time that should be spent making lots of happy memories.
“Texting, talking on the phone or simply not looking before crossing the road could cause a very serious or fatal accident, and we want to ensure everyone stays safe, especially during the coming summer festivities. By installing eye-catching signage in key locations across the city, we hope it serves as a visual prompt for pedestrians to think twice when crossing the road and to always stay alert when walking near the trams.
“We’re always committed to ensuring the safety of all our passengers, staff and the wider public, and joining the LRSSB’s national campaign is an extension of that commitment, allowing us to take our efforts one step further and add additional measures ahead of one of the city’s busiest periods of the year.”
Developed by the LRSSB, the campaign has been rolled out in a number of key cities across the UK already, including Birmingham, Sheffield, Manchester, Edinburgh and Blackpool. It follows recent research that found pedestrian inattention to be the most common cause of tram collisions, with signage designed to stand out and grab attention, even in familiar environments.
Carl Williams, Chief Executive of the LRSSB, said: “Our extensive research, carried out on tramways across the country, revealed that making pedestrians more aware of their surroundings in areas where trams are running is key to further reducing the risk of accidents.
“Initial feedback from participating networks shows the campaign is already having a positive impact, and we’re delighted that NET has become the latest network to adopt our ‘Two Lines = STOP’ message.
“We also welcome NET’s continued commitment to helping the LRSSB in our mission to ensure light rail remains one of the safest modes of public transport.”
