Please be cautious!

Every day on the streets and on tram tracks dangerous situations happen with pedestrians as participants. Absent-mindedness and recklessness may end tragically.

From the tram driver’s diary: “8 p.m. I’m in the line 2 tram, which I drive to the “Turkusowa”  tram terminal. The section from Basen Górniczy to Hangarowa Street leads through a bridge. There is no sidewalk there, there is no space and between the roadway and tracks there is the River Oder. I’m driving slowly, 50 km/h. I’m watching the tracks and the overhead lines, the bridge area, and at the corner of my eye I see the roadway and passenger compartment. And then I see him, between the catenary poles, in a dark jacket, with a backpack. A pedestrian is walking between the tracks, treading on the crushed stone, as if nothing was wrong.

Link to the material- https://youtu.be/2YOwXZTKQhU

There is no chance for a reaction at this speed. A person can trip, collapse, lay down or sit down for a moment. The passing of the  tram can make them lose their balance because of  the air speed, and that is a recipe for a disaster.

“The recording is from day before 1 November, someone was apparently in a rush.. I didn’t think something like that could happen to me at work,” explains the Szczecin’s Tram  driver Bartosz Grzegolec.” Fortunately, nothing bad happened. I immediately called the traffic centre and told them about this situation. Within a moment, the message reached every tram on this route.

“It is hard to find a proper word for such an irresponsible behaviour, as the one recorded,” comments the ZDiTM Spokeswoman Hanna Pieczyńska. “We may build railings, barriers, but we can’t find a solution for people’s lack of imagination. Let’s think ten times before crossing the street illegally or walking in areas where it is not only forbidden, but most importantly – dangerous!

Let’s remember that tram driver are also negatively affected by situations of this kind, and passengers can get hurt during rapid braking.

Please be cautious!