Czech tram rides without driver, as he chases it on bicycle

Jun 16, 2010, 18:13 GMT

Prague - An empty tram in the Czech capital Prague rode on a busy city street without its driver, who chased the elusive streetcar on a bicycle, an official said Wednesday.

The runaway tram rolled out of a depot on Tuesday evening and came to a halt one kilometre into its escape, Railway Safety Inspection spokesman Martin Drapal said.

The incident took place after the driver parked his tram on a spot where the trolley wire lacks electricity.

Depot workers helped him to push the empty streetcar out of the powerless stretch, but the novice driver had failed to switch off the drive gear, leading the tram to embark on its solitary trip through the capital.

The driver gave chase on foot and then on bicycle, but the tram came to a halt only after the public transport authority turned off electricity in the trolley, the spokesman said.

No one was hurt in the incident except for the driver, who sustained scratches during the chase.