NUREMBERG: Seated before the tram's control panel, Benedikt Hanne, 24, deftly steered the red and white wagons, hours before heading to his Nuremberg university to study for a social work degree. As an apprentice, Hanne was watched closely by a trainer, and the tram he drove had no passengers. Bu
I agree with you entirely that automated trams are more difficult than automated metro systems. However I do think that trams are a most likely a more easily solvable problem than automated cars.
Because of this you can model the environment in more detail.
This would not remove the need for drivers outright, but could reduce the number of drivers you need per tram.
That is not to say automated trams are easy, or already viable. I’m just saying that they are likely more viable than automated cars will be in the nearby future.