Riga promises to rebuild tactile paths too close to tram tracks

Riga plans to rebuild tactile guidance strips at five tram crossings after they were found too close to the tracks, posing a risk to people with visual impairments, LSM reported.

The problem was reported at the Kurzemes prospekts public transport stop in Imanta. Jurģis Briedis, an accessibility expert with the Apeirons association, said a person relying on the strips could have been hit by a tram.

Riga City Council’s Department of Outdoor Space and Mobility was responsible for the Imanta cycle path project, including the tactile strips. The municipality said the unsafe positioning was not noticed when the work was accepted, calling it a “human error”.

The department said the contractor had failed to maintain a safe distance from the tram tracks, and the construction supervisor had not checked it. The municipality has ordered the contractor to fix the problem at its own expense.

Until the strips are rebuilt, the municipality is relying on tram drivers to remain alert near pedestrian crossings. It said work to correct the strips would begin soon.