A Tallinn tram department employee says drivers aren't given enough training or information about serious incidents, contradicting the transport company's public position.
The claim follows ERR's report on a father separated from his child by closing tram doors. Tallinn Transport (TLT) head Kaido Padar rejects the criticism, saying each incident gets reviewed.
The source, who asked to remain anonymous, contacted ERR this week following the father and child incident. They said the public is left with the impression from Padar's comments that driver training is continuous and systematic. However, daily experience tells a different story.
"We would also like to know: who is actually responsible today for the professional training of tram drivers, what does it consist of, how much practical instruction takes place, and how is its quality checked?" the source said.
"There are also growing questions among drivers about how new drivers are prepared, what the role of instructors is, on what basis people are selected for those positions, and whether professional requirements are still the priority," they added.
The source cited another incident from late February this year. In this case, one tram ran into another on Lubja tänav. Five people were injured, there was significant material damage, and tram traffic was disrupted for several hours.
"That serious accident has not, to my knowledge, been analysed together with the collective of tram drivers. The causes and circumstances of the accident remain unknown to employees," the source said. They added that TLT staff have still not been told what should be done to avoid similar accidents.
"Analysing such cases together should be an important part of tram driver refresher training. Unfortunately, that practice has, to my knowledge, disappeared."
The source said one more similar incident involving children and adults separated by closing doors occurred in the past week alone, as well as the one reported — which suggests no lesson has been taken from the earlier case.
Padar rejected this criticism, saying incidents are analysed and conclusions drawn from each one.
"When there are incidents, we always improve our system. There is always something to take from each case. The relevant group manager has spoken to the tram drivers and asked them to be even more attentive," Padar said, referring to the response to the father and child case.
He also said responsibility rests partly with passengers when boarding and departing from trams. "We have discussed how to make it clear to passengers, for example through a campaign, that you go to the doors before the stop, not when the stop has arrived and the doors are starting to close."
Padar said TLT has added the topic of door closing to its customer service training program, with the first session held on Tuesday. He said procedures include an apology process, and that the control center sends drivers reminders during the day.
Padar said unsuitable people don't get to be tram drivers, and that the training lasts months, and the bulk of applicants do not get selected. "We last hired people a year and a half ago. Tram driver training lasts four to six months. We had 92 candidates then, out of whom we selected 15 tram drivers."
"The tram driver's job is very prestigious and we have no vacancies there. It isn't a case of simply walking in and doing it," he noted.
He said a further recruitment round is likely next autumn since some drivers are approaching retirement.
Padar added internal matters cannot always be discussed openly because he cannot share personal data. "If our person is at fault, has done something wrong, or the matter is borderline, I'm not going to start whipping them in front of the organization. The easiest thing is to dismiss someone, but I repeat: if someone in our organization has erred, it goes to the employment contract termination committee; if there has been an accident, the accident committee reviews it."
Responding to the criticism, Padar said anyone inside the organization with questions should go to their direct manager and ask for additional training or a better understanding.
He added that there is room for improvement in Tallinn's public transport organization. "Can it be better? It can always be better. Can training be even better? Training can always be better," Padar confirmed.
ERR reported that the incident involving a family on a Tallinn tram brought similar stories to light on social media, with drivers accused of a lack of due care. TLT says it receives around 270 complaints a month, but that these mostly concern sticking to schedules.
As well as the two recent incidents where minors got separated from the caregivers accompanying them on the tram, and February's accident on Lubja, several other incidents have been reported. In March this year, a dog was left outside a tram with its leash caught in the doors, after which the driver physically and verbally assaulted a passenger who pulled the emergency brake to avert the worst; the driver was fired. In March 2025, a man on the tracks was killed by an approaching tram on Peterburi tee, with footage showing the driver had been watching a video on a smartphone just before the collision.
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