The inaugural Tram Driver World Championship was held in Vienna, where an Austrian tram driver emerged victorious. Participants included tram operators from Hong Kong, Rio de Janeiro, and San Diego, who showcased their skills before a large audience. The event coincided with the 160th anniversary of trams in Vienna and featured various challenges, such as tram bowling and curling, testing drivers’ abilities to maneuver their vehicles.
Twenty-five teams from around the world competed on a 250-meter course, facing eight different challenges. Among these was a task requiring drivers to brake smoothly while carrying a bowl of water, aiming to avoid spilling. Another challenge involved pushing a bicycle trolley to a specified stop, and tram bowling involved knocking down inflatable pins with a large ball.
The Austrian team triumphed over the reigning European champions, Hungary, who finished in fourth place despite expectations of a better performance. Poland secured second place, while Norway took third, and Croatia placed last. Florijan Isaku, the winning driver from Austria, expressed joy at winning in his home country and praised Vienna’s public transport operator, Wiener Linien, as a family.
Conversely, Hungarian driver Krisztina Schneider noted that speed alone was insufficient, recounting difficulties with the curling challenge. Next year, the European championships are set to occur in Warsaw, Poland. This event marks a unique celebration of tram driving skills and offers insight into the competitive spirit among tram operators worldwide.
Source: https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cm2zx8zn641o?at_medium=RSS&at_campaign=rss