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The Rhino Turns Its Attention To Passenger Safety On Trams

08 March 2016

Yarra Tram’s popular Rhino campaign is turning its attention to passengers in an effort to reduce injuries on Melbourne’s tram network.

Minister for Public Transport, Jacinta Allan, joined representatives from Yarra Trams and Public Transport Victoria to launch the latest instalment of the Rhino campaign, which has previously focussed on pedestrians and motorists.

Last year there were more than 850 collisions between trams and vehicles. Not only did those collisions cause damage to vehicles, they also caused falls on trams and injuries to passengers.

These incidents are most common in the CBD, where trams share the road with a greater density of motor vehicles, bicycles and pedestrians. In the past two-and-a-half years, 76 per cent of falls on trams occurred in the CBD.

The third Rhino campaign encourages passengers to keep hold of rails and handles on trams, just in case the driver has to hit the brake quickly. The campaign will also remind motorists to check for trams.

The Rhino campaign includes signs in trams to remind passengers of the importance of holding on, and digital advertising featuring footage from a Melbourne tram showing the consequences of not holding on at all times.

The campaign has had real results. In 2011 it contributed to 27 per cent reduction in the number of collisions between trams and pedestrians in the year that followed.

Vehicle to tram collisions fell by 26 percent in the year following the second Rhino campaign.

Quotes attributable to Minister for Public Transport Jacinta Allan

“The latest Rhino campaign will make trams safer for passengers, particularly in circumstances where drivers have to brake suddenly to avoid an accident.”

“Melbourne has the biggest tram network in the world, and we want it to be the safest, which is what this campaign is all about.”

Quotes attributable to Yarra Trams CEO, Nicolas Gindt

“The safety of our passengers and the community is our main priority and we want people to be safe around trams. We remind drivers to always check for trams before turning and passengers to hold on while standing; you never know when a tram will need to stop.”

“We recognise that our employees are a key contributor to safety on the tram network and we’re also involving our drivers and customer service employees to ensure that the safety of our passengers and the community is always top of mind.”

Quotes attributable to PTV Acting CEO Jeroen Weimar

“Melbourne’s trams carry more than 182 million passengers each year and we want to get them where they’re going to safely.”

“Simply holding on to a grab rail or pole when the tram is moving can mean the difference between a good journey and a bad one.”

Reviewed 19 August 2020

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