An interregional tram driver contest was held in Irkutsk, where representatives of four East Siberian cities competed for the title of best. Participants showed knowledge of traffic rules, emergency skills, and tram driving, and Elena Pudonenko and Natalya Ivanova from Usolye won. The article also tells about the history of the Irkutsk tram, considered the first in East Siberia, and the city's modern route network, which carries more than 70 thousand passengers daily.

Representatives of four teams competed for the title of best — from Irkutsk, Angarsk, Usolye-Sibirskoye, and Ulan-Ude. All the contest participants were the best drivers, working without violations or accidents. The contest tasks were designed so that it would be possible to assess how well the drivers know the traffic rules, how they behave in an emergency situation, whether they are familiar with safety procedures, and how politely they communicate with passengers.
The contest traditionally consisted of two parts — theoretical and practical. The contestants demonstrated their knowledge of theory in classrooms. Practical skills — at the tram control panel.
The first and second places in the contest were taken by Usolye residents Elena Pudonenko and Natalya Ivanova, and 3rd place went to Irkutsk resident Stanislav Musatov.
The tram drivers’ contest has been held since 1981, and in 2007 it received interregional status.
Irkutsk became the first city in Eastern Siberia to have a tram. At first — horse-drawn, and then electric trams began running on the city streets. The official date for the launch of this type of transport is considered to be August 3, 1947, when the tram began operating on route No. 1 “Railway Station – Central Market”.
Today, Irkutsk has six tram routes with a total length of 84.83 km:
No. 1 “Volzhskaya - Central Market - Student Town”;
No. 2 “Tram Depot - Central Market - Railway Station”;
No. 3 “Volzhskaya - Central Market - Volzhskaya”;
No. 4 “Central Market - Rabocheye Suburb”;
No. 4a “Rabocheye Suburb - Central Market - Railway Station”;
No. 5 “Solnechny Microdistrict - Central Market - Volzhskaya - Solnechny Microdistrict”.
Every day, 37 trams go out on the routes, carrying more than 70 thousand passengers a day, which accounts for 46% of the total number of passengers using municipal passenger transport services. More than 20% of passengers on Irkutsk trams belong to the category of beneficiaries.
The tram route network covers the central district of the city, connecting Student Town, the Solnechny microdistrict, and the Rabocheye suburb with it.
Press Service of the Administration of the City of Irkutsk