San Francisco delays millions in funding for new Muni trains over safety concerns

SAN FRANCISCO (KGO) -- It's a typical Monday morning commute for Clare Robinson as she boards a Muni train at the West Portal station in San Francisco.

"It gets you from A to B. I think the bigger problem is consistency. When one breaks down, that's it," says Robinson, who has been riding Muni for the past 20 years.

VIDEO: Woman dragged by San Francisco Muni train after getting hand caught in door

But an even bigger issue for the city has to do with safety. Video obtained by the San Francisco Examiner shows a woman's hand getting locked between doors as she is dragged along at the Embarcadero Station. She was hospitalized for four days and then released.

It's the second such incident with the new Muni trains.

"Yeah, that's awful. I thought (the doors) were supposed to spring back if there was pressure in them, like an elevator door," says Robinson.

"This is not good. This is a very serious issue. Safety has to come first," says San Francisco Supervisor Matt Haney, who represents District Six.

RELATED: Witness describes seeing elderly woman dragged across platform by new Muni train

Haney says the board is now holding off on giving Muni the $62 million they asked the city to fast track so they could buy 151 new trains.

That decision comes after a meeting between Aaron Peskin, Chair of the San Francisco County Transportation Authority, and the MTA. Peskin was not available for comment.

Instead of a vote at Tuesday's meeting, Haney says they will now work plans on how to address the problem with Muni's new trains.

"Of course, we want to see exactly what they are going to do for further testing, what sort of additional safety measures they can add to the cars. How we can trust that they are going to get it right. And then, a timeline for how we move forward, if we move forward," explains Haney. He says the board also wants discussions with the train's manufacturer.

According to the Examiner, The California Public Utilities Commission is also conducting their own investigation.