If a driver fails to move out of the path of an approaching light rail then that would incur a $200 fine and a loss of three demerit points, while the same penalties would apply for any driver failing to give way to light rail.

Both offences sit under road transport regulations which were introduced in 2005, years before light rail was considered for the ACT.

Now that light rail testing is in full swing in Canberra ahead of its official April start-up, all drivers, motorcyclists, bicycle riders and pedestrians will need to keep a watchful eye out for the big red carriages or face some significant penalties.

In Melbourne, everyone knows trams are not to be trifled with. The most recent figures from the city of trams revealed an average of three tram v car incidents per day.

Potentially very expensive, but levied at the discretion of the police officer at the time of the offence, is the mistake of a private driver stopping in any of the shared tramway sections of Canberra's roads.

Stopping or driving on the tracks carries a maximum of 20 penalty units.

With each penalty unit set at $150, that's potentially a huge fine of $3000 - the same financial impost if your vehicle was driven whilst unregistered.

However, if you drive a public bus, public mini-bus, taxi or hire car, then the light rail tracks can be accessed provided you are only dropping off or picking up passengers.

The specific offence of jaywalking doesn't exist on ACT statutes but many similar offences do for "unsafe crossing", all aimed at covering a range of errant and aberrant pedestrian behaviour.

Police road rules also eschew the term “light rail” and instead use the more common term of “tram”, despite this description being out of favour with Canberra Metro.

There are fines for crossing the road when the lights are not green ($151), not crossing by the safest route after getting off a tram ($151), delaying crossing the road at a pedestrian crossing despite a tram approaching ($151), and staying on the crossing longer than necessary ($151).

Under the 2017 road rules, police can issue an infringement notice to anyone who crosses a street, a railway line or a tram track in an "unsafe" manner.

The recent incident at the intersection of Northbourne Avenue and Barry Drive in which a pedestrian wearing earphones stepped in front of an oncoming tram could have been the first incident in which police could potentially have used their regulatory powers to issue a fine.

Northbourne Avenue already has the highest incidence of pedestrian collisions in the ACT.

Police in other jurisdictions such as NSW extend their foot patrols to include trains and public transport, and ACT police have indicated that the same type of patrol discretion would apply here with Canberra's light rail.

NSW police also place an emphasis on commuter safety with messaging such as avoid waiting alone, walk with other commuters when you can, be an alert and confident commuter, keep your belongings secure, and travel near the driver if alone in a carriage.

Activating the emergency stop button on the light rail is an offence, but it’s one administered by Transport Canberra.

Light rail drivers will also face scrutiny when the service becomes public. The ACT application of national rail safety laws will apply which requires all drivers to return a 0.0 return on an blood-alcohol breath test, and a zero return for illicit drugs.

Any driver-related incident would fall to Transport Canberra to enforce, as was the case recently when an Uber driver had to slam on the brakes to avoid a near-miss with a light rail driver who belted through the intersection against the lights.

That incident was captured by a dash cam video and the light rail driver suspended by Canberra Metro Operations.

Hefty penalties also exist for any rail service operator who fails to keep up-to-date records relating to the driver, the driver’s instructor and the driver’s assessor.

Failing to keep records on any of the three - driver, instructor or assessor - carries a 10-unit penalty and a $360 fine for each instance.

Obligations also fall on the light rail operator to fulfil certain obligations for the public or face a potential penalty.

Not displaying a sign to show that the people in the carriages and at the light rail stops that they are under surveillance is an offence, as is failing to return lost property or not holding lost property for a reasonable time.

If your ticket looks like the dog ate it, then that’s a potential offence too.

Travelling on light rail with a defaced/damaged/changed ticket carries a penalty of 5 penalty units. If you’re under 18, the fine is $75 and if you're an adult, it rises to $181.