BY BELLA MIDDLETON
People across the Hunter are being urged to take more safety precautions around railway and tram crossings.
Newcastle Transport have released CCTV footage showing multiple close calls featuring pedestrians and drivers around the city's light rail network.
Keolis Downs Hunter General Manager Emmanuel Genlot says the aim of releasing the vision is to encourage the community to be more aware and alert, and consider the impacts a near-miss can have on passengers, drivers, and observers.
"It's scary to watch the CCTV footage and see the dangerous and unpredictable behaviour of some Newcastle road users and pedestrians," said Mr Genlot.
"We are seeing increased instances of intoxicated customers stepping out in front of light rail vehicles after a night out, we also continue to see pedestrians ignoring pedestrian crossings and running across the tracks to try to catch the light rail before it departs."
Tram driver and trainer Corey Moore says he's seen his fair share of near misses around the city's light rail system.
"We see about one near-miss incident a week, which is one too many."
"While our tram drivers use every possible safety measure to avoid a collision, at the end of the day, we need the community to play its part," said Mr Moore.
"Every near miss leaves an impact on your mental health."
Rail Safety Week kicks off today, running until the 13th of August to educate people across New South Wales on the dangers of train and tram tracks and crossings.
