Monday, May 25, 2026, 4:35 p.m
1212 readings
The autonomous bus is almost the same size as a regular bus and travels at the same speed PHOTO X/ Sanningsverket
An autonomous bus was hit by a tram on Monday, the first day the bus was carrying passengers in the center of the western Swedish city of Gothenburg, Vasttrafik, the regional public transport company, said.
An autonomous bus is a fully electric public transport vehicle that travels without a human driver, guided by an artificial intelligence system.
“The bus braked and then the tram hit the bus from behind. There were no deaths or injuries,” said Patrik Chi from Vasttrafik’s press office. He added that the bus has been taken out of service and will be inspected.
Självkörande bussen i Göteborg som krockade med en spårvagn redan på premierdagen har stat taxbetalarna 20 miliet kronor.
Ett treårigt testprojekt som nu tas ur trafik efter en timmes drift.
Will you use money?https://t.co/ez1irfMZZ3
— Sanningsverket (@Sanningsverket) May 25, 2026
“Gothenburg’s autonomous bus that collided with a tram on its very first day of launch cost taxpayers around SEK 20 million. (approx. €1.9 million)
A three-year test project that is now being taken out of circulation after one hour of operation.
Money well spent?”, the Swedes broadcast on social networks.
Since the end of March, this autonomous bus has been running in downtown Gothenburg, but Monday was the first day of testing with passengers on board. But less than two hours after the first trip, the collision occurred.
The autonomous bus is almost the same size as a regular bus and travels at the same speed. There is a driver on board who can take over the driving of the vehicle if necessary.
Currently, autonomous buses in Europe require local permits, issued by each city and for each route, often on private roads. eu has not yet issued authorizations at European level for the commercial deployment of autonomous vehicles, either for autonomous public transport or for robotaxis.
