Melbourne’s E-Class tram manufacturer is in talks with the Victorian government to introduce cutting-edge technology to the network as the number of tram collisions with pedestrians and cars reaches a five-year high.

Bombardier’s Obstacle Detection System for Trams, which alerts drivers before a potential collision, has already been adopted in four European cities – Frankfurt, Marseille, Berlin and Cologne.

Trams in Zurich, Brussels and Duisburg will also be equipped with the safety technology by next year.

The number of tram collisions with people and collisions with road vehicles are at their highest for the past five years, Transport Safety Victoria data shows.