Two People Caught Tram Surfing in Ghent as De Lijn Plans Safety Changes

Two people were filmed riding on the back of a moving tram in Ghent, close to the city’s courthouse. De Lijn says it plans to remove a part of the tram that allows people to stand on the rear, in an effort to prevent similar incidents.

The footage was sent to the newsroom on Tuesday afternoon. It shows two people holding on to the back of a tram as it travels along Begijnhoflaan, near the Court of First Instance in Ghent.

The incident was not previously known to De Lijn. However, the Flemish public transport operator says it is aware of the wider problem of so-called “tram surfing”.

Jens Van Herp, a spokesperson for De Lijn, explained that people sometimes climb onto the back of a tram when another tram is passing in the opposite direction.

The company says its trams will soon undergo maintenance work, during which the small ledge used by tram surfers will be removed. De Lijn expects this change to prevent people from standing on the back of the vehicles.

Van Herp also stressed that tram surfing is extremely dangerous and can put lives at risk.

Ghent Police Say Identifying the Riders Could Be Difficult

Ghent Police were also unaware of the incident when contacted about the footage.

Police spokesperson Matto Langeraert said identifying the two people could be difficult. However, if they are caught, they could face legal consequences.

The possible penalty would depend on several factors, including whether the individuals are minors and whether they have previous records with the justice system.

De Lijn’s planned changes are intended to make this type of dangerous behavior harder to carry out on trams operating in Ghent and elsewhere in Flanders.