I'm not sure what you mean - if a bus can turn a corner then so can a tram's track. They don't have to go in one straight line from one end of the city to another.

I mean they can't in the sense that it's not how the network is set up today. Not that it's impossible.

You can pick frequent or point-to-point service but you can rarely have both. Transfers are a perfectly normal part of a transit network.

Ok, but buses often travel more convenient routes in Melbourne because they're able to head in directions trams can't.

Offering a general principle doesn't somehow refute reality.

What use is a bus if missing one means you're out of luck for the next 29, 39, or 59 minutes? It's not really 'refuting' it, but there are downsides to prioritizing point-to-point travel.

If you look at a map of Melbourne's frequent services (tram and bus) they pretty much all form a grid. https://melbourneontransit.blogspot.com/2019/04/are-you-near...

Auckland redesigned its transit network to have more frequent routes requiring transferring, and public transport ridership is poised to double in ten years. https://www.stuff.co.nz/auckland/111564109/aucklands-unbelie...