Ban on dogs is awful

Hi Matty

Thanks for your comments and welcome to the NET Forums.

Currently we only accept guide and assistance dogs on our trams. You can also take your small pet with you if they are in a suitable pet carrier.

I understand your frustrations with this, but there are a few reasons why we don't accept dogs on our trams, unlike the approach taken by some bus companies.

You may be able to take your dog onto a bus, but buses are predominantly fitted with seats throughout. There is very little standing room and customers can board a bus with a dog who can stay protected under the seat or at least between seats next to their owner.

Although we have some seats on our trams, the majority of customers will stand during their journey, especially during peak times. During peak hours, our trams can be very busy and it's likely your pet may not be in the safest place when boarding the tram as there are lots of people standing and walking throughout the tram. We wouldn't want to cause any injuries to any dog paws.

There is also the concern of the safety of other passengers and whilst I understand that most pets are well behaved and trained by their caring owners, some are not. There's always the potential that having a dog who misbehaves in a crowded area, could cause the dog to become agitated and that's a real concern for us as we are responsible for ensuring the safety of all of our passengers.

There is always the potential for this rule to change in the future. Our friends over at Manchester Metrolink changed their Byelaws to accept pet dogs on the Manchester Trams, so there's always the potential we can follow in their direction in the future, but for the time being, we have no current plans to change the rules.

I'm sorry if this was not the answer you were looking for, but thank you for sharing your thoughts.

Luke Taylor

Customer Experience Manager