Having managed the roll-out of tram lines in several international cities, the head of Transdev says cycling has not arisen as such a safety concern elsewhere as it has in Dublin. Instead, pedestrians using headphones are the bigger worry (Photo courtesy Luas)
Pedestrians using headphones are biggest Luas safety concern
The head of Transdev, which runs Dublin’s Luas trams, says pedestrians wearing headphones are a bigger safety issue than any cycling concerns.
Peter Lunden-Welden is surprised the safety of cycling on the same streets the Luas tracks are on has been such a talking point as the new line opens.
He has worked on many tram projects in different parts of the world. And he says the cycling fears that have emerged in Ireland have simply not been a feature in other countries.
Indeed, pedestrians wearing headphones posed the biggest safety issue.
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“I see a lot of people walking in the city centre, crossing the street and they have their headphones,” he told The Irish Times.
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“That’s the problem for a car, for a tram, for a bus. Even if they drive very slowly they can’t rely on people because of these headphones.”
There has been concern – some of it highlighted by Luas’s safety warnings and social media output – that cycling where tram tracks are laid is a real danger.
The safety advice issued to cyclists has been much more detailed than for pedestrians or motorists.
Luas has even gone as far as explaining basic rules of the road in its official messages to cyclists. Yet cyclists are involved in much fewer incidents with Luas than those driving or on foot.
But Lunden-Welden is not concerned about this, based on his experience in Stockholm, Seoul and Barcelona and during the first Luas roll-out in Dublin.
“When you come to bicycles ...most cities (where) I have been involved; that’s not in a discussion,” he said.
“It is more, you know, the relationship between cars and trams. I was quite surprised finding that this is a main issue.”
He pointed out that in Amsterdam cyclists and trams used the same lanes because both modes of transport worked together.
“They don’t want to have the bicycles together with the cars,” he said. He was speaking ahead of the new Luas line opening for business tomorrrow, Saturday.
- While cycling and cyclists are not seen as the main concern, those on two wheels still need to be extra vigilant. This is especially so in the first weeks as we get used to having trams running on the new line.
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