NSW: Watkins calls for extra care for children around trains

AAP General News (Australia)
02-12-2006
NSW: Watkins calls for extra care for children around trains

SYDNEY, Feb 12 AAP - The NSW government is urging people to take care of young children
around trains following a spate of pram-related incidents on Sydney train platforms.

Transport Minister John Watkins said there had been 47 safety incidents involving children
on train platforms over the past two years and he called on parents to exercise extra
caution.

"We have had two incidents in that period of time where a stroller has rolled off a
platform onto the track", Mr Watkins told reporters in Sydney today.

"Thankfully the children haven't been seriously injured whilst that has happened, but
it's brought our attention to the need to make travelling by train as safe as possible."

Mr Watkins said parents should hold on tight to prams and children's hands, put the
brakes on prams and park them parallel to the tracks.

He said the government and RailCorp would develop a continuing program to upgrade station
platforms and spend $170,000 on community awareness programs which would give train safety
DVDs and bibs to new mums in hospitals.

AAP acb/rj/apm/de

KEYWORD: WATKINS

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