The Athens tram may have some oustanding issues but they are minor and its inherent safety features cannot be compared with other track-based mass transportation, the managing operator STASY said on Friday, responding to complaints by its staff union.
According to a complaint by the Union of Electric Tram Drivers, the telematics, signalling system, and operation control center were either working "below capacity or not at all." They had also complained about "staff exhausted by continuous scheduling" and had called on the government to provide a resolution of issues.
In its response, STASY said that the tram ran on low speed on the street, observing the road traffic code and the signalling system on roads, while the driver has full and visual control.
Tram and traffic system
"The tram is a method of track-based transportation that coexists in city road networks along with moving traffic and pedestrians," it said. "As a road vehicle, it keeps to low speeds and observes the traffic code and the traffic signal system. Its movement and control are entirely reliant on the driver, through the visual contact he/she has with the street. For this reason, it cannot be compared in any way to other track-based means," it added.
STASY explained that the telematics system is linked to the road traffic system, which gives priority to the tram and informs the control center of the exact location of each tram. The system also informs the passenger waiting on the platform of the arrival times of the next tram. The drivers are well-trained and experienced and follow specific procedures, based on an operation protocol, if any technical issues arise, it underlined.
Control center
"The drivers' communication with the control center is continuous and uninterrupted during the entire run of a schedule, through the up-to-date communications system (tetra). The tram control center includes an active monitoring system for all trams moving on the network, in real time, identifying them and locating them through updates every 20 seconds. When technical issues arise, they are resolved immediately, following in this case as well the existing procedures and safety regulations," it noted.
STASY added that with the purchase of 25 new tram carriages put in operation as of December 2021, dysfunctions in the telematics system have been reduced to the minimum.