A bus trip on public transit in southern Germany encountered an unexpected interruption when the driver suddenly chose to stop in order to perform a Muslim prayer. According to reports from passengers who were forced to wait several minutes, the driver is also said to have rolled out a prayer mat before beginning his prayer.

The incident occurred on bus line 612, which operates in the Landshut region and is part of Munich’s regional public transport system. The bus remained stationary at a stop in Ergolding, just outside Landshut in Lower Bavaria.

There, the driver parked the bus before walking to the very back of the vehicle, rolling out his prayer mat, and praying in the direction of Mecca. Meanwhile, the passengers had to wait, causing the journey to be delayed by several minutes.

The incident has been highlighted by several German media outlets, including Der Spiegel and Die Welt. Reports indicate that passengers were surprised by the situation and also felt a certain unease.

Refers to Freedom of Religion

The municipal transport company Stadtwerke Landshut has commented on the incident. According to German media, the company emphasizes that freedom of religion is a fundamental right, which they respect. However, they stress that regular bus operations must not be interrupted.

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At the same time, the company states that the driver did not have a prayer mat with him, despite earlier reports in German media. Instead, he reportedly performed his prayer seated in an empty spot among the passenger seats.

It is still unclear whether the bus driver will face any consequences following the incident.

Similar Incidents in Sweden

In 2020, Samnytt reported on similar events in Sweden. On two separate occasions, in Malmö and Stockholm, situations gained attention in which bus drivers performed Muslim prayers in front of passengers inside the bus.

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In one of the cases, a female passenger in Stockholm stated that she was denied boarding the bus just before departure, even though it was dark outside.

According to the information, the reason was that the driver was completing his prayer before the journey could begin. The incident was documented with a photograph published by Samnytt and used as the main image for this article about the incident in Germany.

In Malmö, an incident was reported where a bus driver prayed using a prayer mat inside the bus while passengers were present.

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– What people choose to do on their breaks, I am not going to judge. We have clear values in our company and what we stand for, said David Erixon, Head of Communications at Skånetrafiken at the time.