Wheelchair user hurt after rolling in front of Nottingham tram

The tram system recently celebrated its 20th year of operation

A wheelchair user suffered head injuries after rolling into the path of a tram, it has been revealed.

An investigation found the carer had not applied the brake properly when they were distracted.

It concluded the collision was "unavoidable" despite the tram driver braking as quickly as possible.

The accident happened on 30 November in Beeston, Nottinghamshire, but has only now been reported during a meeting of tram operator NET.

The report was discussed at NET's network advisory committee on Tuesday, said the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

It heard the wheelchair user suffered head injuries, and was taken to hospital for treatment.

The tram line and adjacent road were closed for about seven hours until the person's condition stabilised.

Jo Bentley, head of customer experience at Nottingham Trams Ltd, said: "The tram driver responded incredibly quickly with his brakes, but the collision was unavoidable."

He has been provided with support following the accident.

High footfall

The meeting also heard the tram network - which marked its 20th birthday last week - dealt well with "very challenging weather" over the winter.

This included flooding, snow, high winds and freezing temperatures.

Between November 2023 and January, the service was on time just under 94% of the time, the committee was told.

The line was closed at Wilford Lane for four days as a result of heavy rainfall during Storm Henk.

Following extremely low temperatures of -10C (14F) one night in January, most of NET's trams were temporarily out of action, although normal service was restored by midday.

Trams also had to deal with high footfall and congestion in the city centre, as well as several pro-Palestinian marches, which sometimes blocked tram and road routes.