THE conductor getting off the tram to warn traffic it is coming is now a thing of the past, thanks to the flow-on from the winding up of Portland WorkSkills – and there’s more to come.

Portland Cable Trams was one of the groups that received a substantial donation from the winding up last year, and one of its projects was completed on Thursday.

That was the installation of warning lights at the intersections it crosses along Bentinck St – Lighthouse Ave and Wade St – as well as an electronic sign near Henty Park advising the public if it is open or not.

The warning signs complement the one at Cliff St/Lee Breakwater Rd, the major intersection the trams cross.

Trams chairman Des Hein was one of three volunteers – Lou McKay and Don Tapscott being the others – who helped Kinglake-based Richard Mangan of Ultimate Technology Group install the signs.

“This is all due to the WorkSkills money,” Mr Hein said.

“Now we’re completely set up with intersections with lights and the conductors don’t have to get off at all.”

Mr Hein said tram drivers were still getting frustrated with the number of vehicles running the light at the Cliff St/Lee Breakwater Rd intersection.

A police spokeswoman said such behaviour came under the category of failing to stop or give way at a level crossing or unlawfully entering it when devices were operating and was punishable by a $962 fine and four demerit points.

Mr Hein said a police patrol nabbed at least one driver recently.

“If the lights come on and they have time to stop and they don’t, they will be booked,” he said.

“But we don’t want people getting fined – we’ve installed some extra sensors so the light goes off as soon as the tram leaves the road.

“We’ve spent a lot of extra money to make it user friendly and we just want drivers to obey the rules.”

The next big project that Trams will do with WorkSkills money is electrifying its tram, at a cost of about $90,000, and perhaps even more reason for the warning lights to be installed first.

“They’ll run off lithium batteries and will run so quiet they’ll sneak up on you,” Mr Hein said.

“That will be good, it’s just a matter of time before diesel trams won’t be allowed.”

The third project courtesy of the WorkSkills money is due to take place in March next year, when a storage building will be erected next to the Trams shed at Henty Park.

“When you think where we’ve come from, this is great,” Mr Hein said.

Meanwhile, Mr Hein said volunteers were disappointed by some recent vandalism of the tram stop on the cliffs overlooking the Maritime Discovery Centre.

The perspex windows in the  stop have been smashed about six times in the past six weeks, and are now boarded up waiting for replacements.

“We’ve been there 21 years and nothing much has ever happened – they’re an asset to the town and it’s disappointing for the volunteers when this sort of thing happens,” Mr Hein said.