A bus and a tram collided at the Steubenplatz near the Friedenheimer Bridge in Munich today. The bus driver was seriously injured in the accident but does not appear to be in life-threatening condition. Eleven others, including nine school children, were also injured and taken to hospitals, while the tram driver sustained minor injuries.
The bus driver, who was transporting 30 sixth-graders from a swimming lesson to school, failed to notice the oncoming tram as he turned left and collided with it. The impact was severe enough to lift three sections of the four-part articulated tram off the tracks.
As a result, tram lines 16 and 17 will not be serving the Arnulfstraße section and the Arnulfstraße itself will be only partially accessible to traffic. The tram is expected to be lifted back onto the tracks using a crane later today.
The accident will be thoroughly investigated, including the analysis of a dashcam in the bus. It is likely that the investigation will also examine the underlying problems affecting the public transportation system in Munich and the bus industry as a whole, including the chronic shortage of drivers. Munich’s public transportation company, for example, has recently been using students as tram drivers to maintain service levels.