Transport Department figures obtained by The Advertiser reveal drivers reported 213 near misses between March last year, when the new line to the Entertainment Centre became operational, and the start of January.

Near misses involving vehicles tallied 121, while the number of pedestrian incidents was counted as 92.

A near miss is when, in the opinion of the driver, there is the significant risk of causing injury or death to any person or the potential to cause property damage.

Rail, Tram and Bus Union branch secretary Ashley Waddell said the figures showed some commuters were treating trams “with contempt”.

He said drivers had to be “very cautious” in the city because of the high number of near misses.

“Especially down along North Tce you get taxis and courier vans that do U-turns in front of trams and you get pedestrians that will try to run across in front of them,” he said.

“They’ll take the trams on.

“It’s an issue through the whole CBD.

“The police need to better police the tramline through the CBD.”

Pedestrian Council of Australia president Harold Scruby called for jaywalking fines to be increased to at least $100.

At present in South Australia they are $55, which includes the Victims of Crime levy.

“Also wherever there is … high pedestrian activity the speed limit should be 40km/h,” Mr Scruby said.

A poolice spokesman said transit officers monitored the North Tce tram line daily.

SA Police also frequently initiated “Operation Amble”, which targeted city pedestrians.

Transport Department spokesman Ross Stargett said many of the incidents involved pedestrians crossing tracks “in an unsafe manner at non-designated crossing points”.

He noted no fatalities had occurred on the tram network in the past six years.

“While the majority of pedestrians and motorists obey the law and behave in a safe manner, risk-taking behaviours continue to occur both within the CBD and elsewhere on the network,” he said.

via AdelaideNow

Premier Mike Rann says the service has been a “terrific success” since it started carrying passengers in March.

The government had planned to offer free travel for just six months on the $100 million extension, which runs from the western end of the city’s North Terrace to the Entertainment Centre.

The new service was inspiring more people to use public transport, the premier said at Sunday’s official opening of the route.

“Based on patronage figures from July this year compared to July 2009, total patronage on the entire tram line grew by 55 per cent, and it is estimated 2000 people a day board this tram to and from the Adelaide Entertainment Centre,” Mr Rann said in a statement.

Start of sidebar. Skip to end of sidebar.

End of sidebar. Return to start of sidebar.

“While the government initially made the commitment to provide free travel from the Adelaide Entertainment Centre to the city centre for six months, we have decided to keep the current free travel permanently in place.”

Mr Rann said the next step for Adelaide’s light rail development was a $520 million extension of the tramline from the Entertainment Centre to suburban Semaphore, Port Adelaide and West Lakes.

The construction is scheduled to take place from 2015/16 to 2018/19.

via AdelaideNow

Fans flocked to the upgraded venue on the recently opened extension to see 1970s singer-songwriters James Taylor and Carole King and went home singing the praises of both the concert and their transport.

Dozens of people arrived on each tram from 7pm until just before the concert began at 8pm and told AdelaideNow the service was quick, convenient and comfortable. Most were planning on taking trams home after the show.

David and Jill Michael, of Port Augusta, caught the tram to the Entertainment Centre from the city.

“It’s our first trip on the tram to here,” David said before the concert.

“I only found out about two hours ago that it (the extension) was even finished this far.

“It’s brilliant. It certainly beats catching a taxi and hopefully when we leave we’re not standing in a line for half an hour or three quarters of an hour as we have in the past to catch a taxi back.”

Two extra trams were added to the regular schedule to accommodate fans leaving the concert, who streamed across Port Rd to find at least one and sometimes two trams waiting at the Entertainment Centre stop’s platforms.

Hundreds of people boarded trams within minutes of the concert finishing.

The centre’s car park also seemed to switch smoothly at 6.30pm from its new role as a park and ride facility to venue car parking.

via AdelaideNow