Child separated from father on Tallinn tram sparks concern

A child was left at a Tallinn tram stop after the doors closed before the child’s father could get off with a pram, prompting social media users to share similar accounts. ERR reported that Tallinn public transport operator Tallinna Linnatransport (TLT) reviews incidents involving bus and tram drivers and provides training.

The incident happened at the weekend. The father tried pressing the door button and speaking to the driver, but the tram left before he could get off. He returned to the child from the next stop.

Other people on social media described cases in which young children and adults ended up on opposite sides of bus or tram doors. In some cases, families reunited at the same stop; in others, the vehicle continued on its route.

TLT board member Kaido Padar said the cases did not point to a systemic problem. The company receives about 270 complaints a month, most concerning whether services run on schedule. Padar said such incidents had happened between one and four times during his four years at the company, and twice so far this year.

Of TLT’s 1,500 drivers, 750 take practical customer service training each year using videos, Padar said. The company had also agreed to review video examples of how drivers should respond in such situations.

Regina Peegel, a board member of the transport division of the railway workers’ union, said tram drivers monitor the doors using cameras or mirrors and close them when there is no movement nearby. She said she did not believe the driver had acted deliberately.

Peegel said passengers should be ready to get off, rather than rushing to the doors at the last moment. Padar said the driver in the incident had not understood what the father wanted, adding that drivers are sometimes distracted or deliberately provoked by passengers.