No ownership of tram safety sign

The safety of passengers alighting at the Docklands Park tram stop is at risk because no authority will accept responsibility
for signage.

A Yarra Trams “whistleblower” contacted Docklands News after months of attempting to draw attention to the danger that a broken sign at the stop presented.

The stop is one of only a handful in Melbourne where commuters are expected to step directly from the tram onto the roadway and into the path of on-coming traffic.

And the Docklands stop is the least obvious, with motorists coming around a sharp corner and upon the stop within about 20 metres.

An illuminated and flashing sign warning drivers to stop was installed when the stop was created but, according to the whistleblower, has been broken for many months.

“For six months now we have had Yarra Trams trying to get Places Victoria and the City of Melbourne to fix the sign,” the whistleblower said.

“They have been saying that it’s the other’s responsibility to fix the sign.”

A Places Victoria spokesperson said Yarra Trams was responsible for the stop, but City of Melbourne was responsible for the sign.

However, a City of Melbourne spokesperson told Docklands News that Yarra Trams was responsible for the sign.

A Yarra Trams spokesperson said the responsible road authority was City of Melbourne and that the fault had been reported to this authority.

No authority is taking responsibility for ensuring the sign is functioning correctly, leaving tram drivers concerned each time passengers enter and exit trams at this stop.

Docklands News has seen a tram driver getting out to ensure that traffic stopped and passengers could cross the road safely.

“There’s also a sign down there that’s facing the wrong way,” the whistleblower said. “All it would take is for someone to get a screw-driver out and turn it around.”

“To me, it’s irresponsible indifference.  Does someone need to be killed before something is done about it?”