As part of the tenth-anniversary celebrations of TRAM, the company that manages Barcelona’s two tram systems, the third European tram drivers’ championships were held in Barcelona. Previous editions were held in Budapest (Hungary) and Dresden (Germany).

Parla Tram (Madrid) won the competition with a final score of 3,970 points out of a possible 7,000. Rotterdam came second (3,230 points) and Madrid third (3,040).

This year’s participants totalled 17 two-member teams from Germany, France, Netherlands, Hungary, Romania, Sweden and various cities in Spain.

The six tram-driving tests were designed to show the drivers’ skill over one and a half stops of Barcelona tram line T4 (between Ciutadella | Vila Olímpica and Wellington).

The tests consisted of an estimated-speed test, where the drivers had to maintain a constant speed of 30 kilometres per hour without being able to see the speedometer; a stopping-point test, to measure their accuracy braking to stop at a certain point; an estimated-distance test, to position the central section of the tram at a precise point; a reversing test; and a side-distance test, to assess their ability to estimate the minimum gap between the tram and pedestrians.

The sixth test, and certainly the most spectacular one, was a skittles test, using the front of the tram to shoot a huge rubber ball to knock over six skittles positioned in front of the tram.