We now know who will pay for repairs when there’s a collision between motor vehicles and Cuenca’s new tram.
The tram will begin public operation on March 3.
The city transportation office (EMOV) reached an agreement earlier this week with the driver of car that collided with the tram on Av. Las America. The driver will pay $1,000 to repair scratches and dents to tram car 1011 that resulted from the collision. According EMOV, the driver ignored traffic signals and crossed the tracks in front of the train.
“This is the way we will deal with collision expenses involving the tram in the future,” says tram director Jaime Guzmán. “Because the tram has the right of way, collisions will almost always be the fault of drivers of vehicles who are on the train tracks illegally. We will insist that drivers in those cases pay for tram repairs as well as for repairs of their own vehicles.”
Guzmán adds that it will be easy to prove that drivers are at fault in accidents with the tram. “We have video cameras in all locations where the tram and motor vehicles interact and we also have signage reminding drivers that they must yield right of way.”
