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New Signs To Warn Against 'Tra...

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New Signs To Warn Against 'Trap And Drag' On The Luas

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01:41 6 Mar 2020


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Transdev will introduce signs on Luas platforms after "Trap and Drag" incidents.

That's when someone on the platform gets caught in the doors and is pulled alongside the tram.

According to a report by the Railway Accident Investigation Unit, it's happened twice in the last twelve months.

March 2019, Heuston Station

The RAIU described an incident in March of 2019, where a man's hand was caught in the doors.

In typical "Trap and Drag" fashion, the tram began to move and it pulled him along with it.

Thankfully, a pair of security staff spotted what was going on and flagged it with the driver.

Five seconds after moving off, the tram was stopped.

Mark Gleeson from Rail Users Ireland says it happens very rarely.

"It's where a passenger boarding a tram or train becomes trapped in the door that closes."

"They find themselves outside the vehicle as the tram or train moves off."

"It's quite a rare occurrence, the doors are automatically designed to re-open if they're obstructed, provided that obstruction is greater than 10mm in width."

Don't Stick Your Hand Where It Doesn't Belong

Kevin Carter, chair of Dublin Commuter Coalition, says improvements can be made by both the public and the operator.

"Don't try to board a Luas when the doors are closing."

"You're putting yourself at risk and at the same time you're delaying the service as well."

"At the same time, the onus has to be on the driver to make sure it is safe to move away from the platform."

The RAIU report lists a number of safety recommendations.


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