Supertram won't send drivers to Euro championships

Supertram bosses have declined to send some of its Sheffield drivers to take part in a continental competition.

The European Tramdriver Championship, also known as the Tram-EM, is set to take place in Austria's capital Vienna in 2025, and is open to European public transport agencies.

A group of enthusiasts set up a petition arguing that Supertram should send a delegation to compete to show the city's commitment to green transport.

But South Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority, which owns the network, told the BBC that it would not be entering any of its drivers.

The online petition, launched by Jeremy Luke Goldsworthy, has been signed by more than 50 people as of Friday evening, and runs until 1 December, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

Mr Goldsworthy said the competition, which previously saw teams from Birmingham and Edinburgh compete, would give "often overlooked" Sheffield an opportunity to represent the UK "on a European stage".

“Participation in the European Tramdriver Championship perfectly complements existing commitments like the Connecting Sheffield initiative and will improve the appeal of jobs within the public transport industry," Mr Goldsworthy said.

“Supertram already connects Sheffield to Rotherham but through Tram-EM it could become a bridge connecting Sheffield to the rest of the world, while celebrating Sheffield’s commitment to green transport.”

A spokesperson for Supertram said: “In South Yorkshire we all know that Supertram is the best tram system around and we’re very pleased that people in South Yorkshire want to see us prove our stuff at the European Tramdriver Championship.

“While this isn’t something we’ll be able to do this year it’s certainly not something we’d rule out in the future.”

Supertram, which started running in 1994, was taken into public ownership in March this year by South Yorkshire Mayor Oliver Coppard.

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