Passengers jump off tram
DISGRUNTLED passengers jumped off a tram at Piccadilly Gardens after pulling the emergency cord when it broke down last night.
The rebel travellers acted having been stranded on the ‘temporarily suspended’ vehicle for about 20 minutes.
Olivia Reynolds was on the tram when the incident happened at around 5.30pm.
The 27-year-old said: “We were waiting for about 15 or 20 minutes, and the tram was about 20 metres from the platform.
“People were huffing and tutting. Then someone pulled the emergency cord and most of the people on the carriage got off.”
A TfGM spokeswoman said the delay to the service was caused by a power failure. She said the service provider would ‘strongly advise against’ pulling the emergency cord, as it can create delays for other passengers.
The spokeswoman said: “Metrolink suffered a power failure on the Ashton Line which resulted in a temporary suspension of service.
“During that time some trams were stopped for a short period in the city, while the operator made adjustments to the service.
“Clearly some passengers became impatient and disembarked a tram by using the emergency handles.
“This makes it very difficult for the operator to recover full services and TfGM would strongly advise against it, for the benefit of other passengers who may suffer longer delays.”