Safety at Platform-Train Interface (PTI) and Pedestrian-rail Crossings of the Addis Ababa Light Rail Transit (AALRT)
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Date
2016-11
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Addis Ababa University
Abstract
Train mass rapid transit becomes a necessary need for developing countries to solve traffic congestion. Addis Ababa is the first capital in the Sub-Saharan African countries that have operated this kind of urban transport mode, light rail transit (LRT). More research studies still need to be explored related to the operation of this mode in the context of developing countries. One of these is safety at station platforms and pedestrian-rail crossings. The main objective of this research is to determine the safety perception and safety awareness of the Addis Ababa LRT passengers on station platforms and to undertake safety assessment at pedestrian-rail crossings of the project, in order to identify and manage both the safety issues and their associated solutions. Two methodologies were used to achieve this objective of the study, a questionnaire survey and a checklist based observational study.
The questionnaire study was carried out with the main purpose of examining the safety perception and safety awareness of the Addis Ababa LRT passengers on the station platforms. A total of 50 passengers from the two corridors of the project were selected via simple random sampling method to participate in the questionnaire study. From the result, the study concludes that platform-train interface (PTI) accident is a safety issue for the Addis Ababa LRT stations and concerns of safety do exist on the station platforms.
Through the checklist based observational study, a number of pedestrian related safety issues and concerns were identified at pedestrian-rail crossings of the project. Among these safety issues and concerns; inadequate standing areas and safety zone, limited pedestrian warning devices and lighting devices, and collision risk due to second LRVs were the major ones. Finally, to avert the identified safety issues at station platforms and pedestrian-rail crossings of the project, recommendations have been forwarded in the last chapter. Lack of finance and incomplete responses to the questionnaire survey were the main constraints faced during the course of the study.
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Keywords
Safety perception, safety awareness, station platform, platform-train interface (PTI) accident, pedestrian-rail crossing, light rail transit (LRT)