I welcome the safety suggestions made in the Rail Accident Investigation Branch’s (RAIB’s) final report into the Croydon tram tragedy.
It appears from the report that the driver fell asleep in the seconds running up to the turning and was not able to slow down in time to take the corner safely. The resulting tragedy led to the loss of seven lives and many more badly injured.
The recommendations made in this report will help prevent such a needless loss of life in the future. I have raised the vital need to see these changes implemented swiftly with the Secretary of State for Transport, Chris Grayling.
In particuar I have highlighted the need to implement measures for a device to reduce tram speeds if they approuch higher risk locations at high speed and the need to ensure that tram windows are made safe in the event of a collision.
I also welcome the report’s recommendation to introduce a monitoring system that will set off an alert should the driver reach dangerously low levels of awarenesss. This technology could have prevented the tragedy and I have requested that the Secretary of State ensures that it is implemented without delay.
I also call on the driver’s union, ASLEF, to stop their deeply offensive strikes against this technology and to instead work with the RAIB and the tram companies to ensure that a similar accident can never happen again.
