Prague launches a black tram to fight pedestrian deaths on the tracks

A black tram has started running through the streets of Prague as part of a new city safety campaign aimed at pedestrians on the tracks. The organizers — including transport authority ROPID and Prague's public transport operator DPP — are reminding young people of a simple rule: "see, hear, go" — before stepping onto the rails, look around, listen, and make sure the way is clear.

"We're not saying headphones or phones are bad. We just want people, before stepping onto the road or the tracks, to take three seconds to raise their awareness, look up, remove or lower the volume on their headphones, and make sure it's safe to keep moving," explained ROPID director Petr Tomčík. According to him, those three seconds are meant to give young pedestrians back control of the situation.

Alarming statistics

According to Prague's public transport operator DPP, 72 collisions between pedestrians and trams were recorded in 2025 alone, resulting in two deaths. In addition, 22 pedestrian incidents involving buses and trolleybuses were registered, though none proved fatal. The numbers show that even a brief lapse of attention in dense city traffic can end in tragedy.

"A tram can't stop within 30 meters the way a car can at the permitted speed," stressed Jaroslav Beránek (Pirate Party), Deputy Mayor of Prague for transport. He added that although rail transport is considered one of the noisiest forms of urban traffic, newer tram models have become significantly quieter — something pedestrians also need to keep in mind.

A response to a girl's death

The new awareness campaign builds on a previous one that used an ominous yellow tram displaying a "pedestrians vs. trams" scoreboard. This year, the score reads 0:1 — in memory of a tragic accident this spring in Prague 6, where a tram struck and killed a young girl.

According to the investigation, the child ran out from behind a tram that was stopped at a station, crossing the tracks, and failed to notice an oncoming tram approaching from the other direction. The injuries she sustained proved fatal.

Tram and bus drivers regularly encounter situations where a pedestrian fails to notice approaching traffic. "It's often a moment of inattention combined with underestimating what public transport vehicles are capable of. Neither a tram nor a bus can stop instantly, and emergency braking can also pose a risk to passengers inside the vehicle," noted Jan Barhánek, transport director and board member of DPP.

Budget and reach of the campaign

The campaign's total budget is 13.5 million crowns, including VAT. This covers strategy and creative development, production of advertising formats, media placement, online communication, vehicle wraps, and other activities. 70% of the project is funded by the Damage Prevention Fund of the Czech Insurers' Bureau, with the remainder covered by ROPID and the City of Prague from their own budgets.

The campaign won't be limited to trams — it will also appear on buses and outdoor advertising sites across the city, including screens inside public transport vehicles. The organizers plan to reach younger audiences mainly through short videos on social media.

Read also: Free Czech courses for foreigners: where to learn

Source: novinky.cz