Drivers reveal their concerns.
A number of Luas drivers have told The Irish Times that they did not receive sufficient training on the new Cross City route in Dublin city centre, ahead of the start of the operation this weekend.
Trams will begin to operate on the new route at 2pm on Saturday, but a number of Siptu members have revealed that they have received only six hours of training rather than the 17 hours that they had been due to undertake.
As a result, drivers feels that – with more hazards and busy junctions on the new line than on the existing Red and Green lines – accidents are inevitable in the coming weeks as drivers get used to the new service.
One health and safety rep told Kitty Holland from the Times: “The reality is that the majority of drivers are not ready because they have only received six hours’ live driving experience on the new route.
“This in my opinion is totally insufficient and poses a risk to public safety.
“Two-thirds of the 200 drivers have not driven a tram at night as their training was designed to suit trainers in daylight hours only.”
Siptu shop steward Richie McCarthy said that drivers who had expressed concerns that they did not have enough training were told by management that they’d been passed as competent.
“A lot of drivers asked for additional training but were told by management they had been passed competent to drive the lines. Of course they are competent. They’ve been driving the trams for 10 years. But there’s a difference between competence and adequate training.”
JOE’s calls to Transdev, the operators of the Luas, went unanswered on Saturday morning.
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