Self-driving bus is in a crash with a tram on its first day in Sweden

See more Daily Mail on Google - save us as a Preferred SourceBy ELIANA SILVER, SENIOR FOREIGN NEWS REPORTER Published: 15:29 BST, 25 May 2026 | Updated: 15:40 BST, 25 May 2026

A self-driving bus was involved in a crash with a tram on its first day carrying passengers in the Swedish city of Gothenburg on Monday, the Vasttrafik public transport company said.The bus, made by Turkey's Karsan, has been taken out of service for inspection, Vasttrafik spokesman Patrik Chi said.'It's an incredibly sad start,' the spokesman said of the incident. 'The self-driving bus with people onboard in Gothenburg braked and was hit from behind by a tram. There are no casualties or personal damages,' he added.Chi said the circumstances of the collision still needed to be investigated, adding there was 'a safety driver on board the bus, who is ready to take control if needed.' The bus had been circulating in central Gothenburg since the end of March, but Monday was its first day carrying passengers.In a press release sent out this morning, Västtrafik CEO Lars Backström, said: 'Finally! This is an important step for us. 'By driving with passengers on board, we get the opportunity to learn both how the technology works in real traffic and how passengers experience the journey,' he said, according to local media. The bus, made by Turkey's Karsan, has been taken out of service for inspectionThe CEO noted the phased approach will eventually advance to testing vehicles without a safety driver in the front seat. Footage on public broadcaster SVT's website showed the damage to the bus, and a banner on its rear reading: 'Keep distance! The bus may brake sharply.' Sweden's Transportstyrelsen transport agency had given the green light for the bus to have passengers on board for a trial that was to last until July 31, 2027.Self-driving buses and shuttles in Europe operate under local authorisations, granted city by city and route by route, often on private roads.The self-driving bus is almost the same size as a regular bus and travels at the same speed. The EU has not yet granted Europe-wide approvals for commercial deployment of self-driving public transport or robotaxis.