There were severe delays to both Edinburgh Trams services and traffic in the city centre during the morning rush hour on Friday 29th August after a collision involving a bus and a tram (no. 253). The collision took place shortly after 0745 when a bus operating the First X38 service crossed over into the tram lane in West Maitland Street and despite efforts by the drivers of both the tram and the bus a low speed collision occurred. Reports in the local media have suggested that a cyclist may have caused the bus to swerve into the path of the tram but these have not been verified and investigations are underway.
Both the tram and the bus were heading eastbound (so the tram was heading to York Place and had only just departed Haymarket) and following the collision West Maitland Street was closed to all traffic for around two hours whilst initial investigations took place and both vehicles were removed to their respective depots (the tram ran under its own power and the bus was towed).
CCTV footage from on board the tram has confirmed that the driver of the tram was not to be blamed and First have said they are currently undertaking an internal investigation to ascertain what happened. Eyewitness reports quoted in the Edinburgh Evening News have stated that they saw a bike swerving in amongst traffic shortly before the collision and they have suggested that the bike then rode off the footpath into the path of the bus which swerved to avoid the cyclist but unfortunately into the path of the tram.
No one was reported injured in the collision although it did cause major disruption in the city centre with trams only operating between the Airport and Murrayfield Stadium.