Last Tuesday, another accident occurred again involving the TRAM and a vehicle, causing a minor injury. This is the fourth accident that has occurred since road traffic was reopened in the area. The first collision took place on March 6, 2023, a month and a half after the service reopened. A 66-year-old man was hit by the tram in Dénia. In May, two months later, the second incident occurred. The tram that runs along Joan Fuster Avenue hit a vehicle that was crossing the roundabout where the Camí del Pou de la Muntanya intersects with the railway route. The third accident was on June 23, 2023, shortly before 21:00 p.m. as the convoy passed through the roundabout between Joan Fuster and Diana Street. Fortunately, despite the spectacular collision, there were no injuries.
After this new accident, PP, through its councilor Carlos Barona, has launched a series of criticisms towards the local government and the previous government of the Generalitat, accusing them of being responsible for an infrastructure that they call "sloppy." "The tramway of the TRAM passing through Dénia shows how the Botànic did things, from botch to botch," Barona criticizes in a note issued to the media, in which he adds: "First, the bridge that could not support the weight of the trains and now the accidents in Dénia.
After an investment of 150 million euros, according to the popular ones, the service provided by the TRAM "is insufficient for Dénia and the region", since "investing that amount of money so that it takes three hours to get to Alicante, is throwing away the money. And they understood a lot about that in the Government of Ximo Puig», points out the councilor again. The popular has also warned that they have "contacted the Department of Infrastructure to convey the concern that these accidents are causing among citizens, indicating that they are already working to try to solve the safety deficiencies that exist. They are aware that the project could be greatly improved and from day one they arrived at the Ministry, they have had it on the work agenda," says the Popular Party.
Carlos Barona has also pointed out that "we are going to request the safety report issued by the Dénia City Council, which is mandatory to be able to open the line to the public. We do not understand that it was positive and safety improvements, adjustments to traffic lights and application of new measures have already had to be made.
The popular spokesman, Pepa Font, took the opportunity to comment that "we already saw this situation coming, and we warned them, but as always, the opposition's proposals fall on deaf ears with this government team. From the Popular Party we are going to work to improve this situation, and we will demand accountability from those responsible for this mess."
Responsibility for accidents
It should be noted that in all the accidents that have occurred on the Dénia train tracks, the responsibility has always been the cars and in no case the TRAM. In each one the light signals have worked, with the traffic light being red when the cars have decided to cross the road, therefore skipping the indications. Likewise, the first accident victim, who was a pedestrian, collided with the train when it was passing, which was, a priori, inevitable due to the infrastructure, since the barriers demanded by a sector of the population have never existed in pedestrian crossings. . It has been the tram itself as it passes through the city and its precautionary measures that have prevented more serious accidents, since the reduced speed at which it circulates within the city, for example, has allowed a greater margin of reaction in each of the these cases.
The Tram can be criticized above all for its excessive cost, but above all for the slowness of the route, which makes it practically useless as a means of transportation for ordinary mortals. But there is a long way from blaming the drivers for the mistakes or negligence of the drivers as the PP does.
It is a black point of concentration of accidents, be careful!! Cars coming from everywhere, short lanes, small roundabout, surrounded by zebra crossings, always amber traffic lights and trams…. Many things to take into account in such a small space. Insured accident!! Your thing is to do something. If not, then a matter of time, again….
The problem in this case lies in the lack of road education that some drivers have. I see it every day, because I live nearby and I pass by this particular one just like others every day.
At this level crossing in particular, the drivers who go down the road work hard to reach the next roundabout below the gas station before the cars that go down the old hospital road, and those who go up do not usually stop long because they would have to start. Again the march is uphill, and as I observe every day many have great problems coordinating the clutch, brake pedal and accelerator.
For critics, on the left the line of the perfect
It circulates on a street in Dénia with level crossings that people can cross calmly and skip things and it is much better if, for example, it were buried or that a station was made on the outskirts
It is the best thing to do in all cities that the train passes through the streets
I would even propose making another one there and one way back, since it is very good we would have two
Solved
Accident on Les Marines Highway. A car runs the red light (fictional situation).
PP of Dénia: Who was irresponsible for placing a road there? We will demand responsibilities!
It's a lie that there have been more than four accidents. How can you lie like that?