My adjournment matter is for the Minister for Public Transport, and the action I seek is for minister to fix the tram stop at the corner of Chapel Street and Toorak Road, stop 128 on route 58 outbound. This stop is notoriously unsafe for commuters getting off at this stop and many have raised it with me personally and indeed I have witnessed issues at this stop. It has been raised a number of times on the Victoria Walks spot map and the Greens Transport Troubles map as well. Some of the comments, which I will read into Hansard, are:
Traffic does not stop when tram stops.
Three lanes of traffic and usually the left-hand turn lane drives right past a stationary tram. Extremely dangerous for passengers alighting tram.
So dangerous because of the development of the corner. All traffic are looking forward. It needs a proper tram stop!
Agreed. This is one of the most dangerous tram stops I know. Drivers just don’t stop when they should. Platform tram stop needed (with appropriate pedestrian priority).
Such a dangerous intersection. Cars don’t stop heading out of the city. They are accelerating down the hill to get past the tram. How someone isn’t hit on a daily basis as they get off the tram is beyond me.
It’s incredibly dangerous to exit an eastbound tram at this stop, as cars routinely speed past the stopped tram (there are two lanes to cross to the pavement).
I wrote to the previous member for Prahran, Yarra Trams and VicRoads on this matter in February 2011 — there has been no evident change in the past six years!
I have raised this issue previously, and in the minister’s response she stated:
I have requested that PTV continues to work with relevant safety authorities and Yarra Trams to continue to monitor the tram stop.
I would certainly like to know what the results of that monitoring of the tram stop are, and I would urge the minister to fix this dangerous tram stop.
