User-agent: Mediapartners-Google*
Disallow:
Buses World News
Buses World News
In brief: Worldwide montly news & informations about Buses, Busmakers, Passengers' and the Transport Industry
1.11.16
NOT "BLACK BOX" NEITHER SEAT BELTS * USA: Hence bus terrific accident
* Ohio - Other viewpoints: Update charter-bus safety rules
--- We might never know why the USA Holiday charter bus was going faster than was safe on Interstate 10 in Desert Hot Springs, Calif., early Oct. 23. The driver can’t say because he was one of the 13 people killed when the bus plowed into the back of a big rig truck. Nor was the bus equipped with a “black box” recorder that might have indicated mechanical failure... What we do know is that if the 43 passengers on the bus — all of whom were either killed or injured, some very seriously — had been wearing seat belts, the toll of deaths and injuries likely would have been lower. Officials said that the victims were hurled into the air, and their injuries were consistent with striking blunt or jagged objects. But even if the passengers had wanted to use them, seat belts weren’t available on USA Holiday’s bus. No law requires operators of such buses to provide them to passengers, though some carriers choose to do so... (Photo: Fatal tour bus crash Mukh. A tour bus and a semi-truck crashed on Interstate 10 near Desert Hot Springs) -- Columbus, OH, USA - The Columbus Dispatch - October 31, 2016
* Alberta - Union argues Edmonton bus blind spot could hide 19 pedestrians
(Video from stpatuorg - Aug 25, 2016: Roughly one pedestrian per week is killed by a transit bus in the United States. Buses have huge left hand mirrors, mounted in critical sight lines, that needlessly block the driver's vision and cause fatal pedestrian accidents. In fact, from the point of view of the bus driver, up to 13 pedestrians may be hidden behind the massive "A" pillar and left side mirror at any given time. The cost of eliminating the blind spot is under $300 per bus)
--- Transit union officials say an unnecessary, massive blind spot on Edmonton's New Flyer buses was likely to blame in Tuesday's fatal pedestrian accident and are urging officials to retrofit the vehicles with a better mirror... A veteran driver with a clear safety record was trying to make a left turn in full daylight Tuesday, say union officials. The bus struck and killed an 83-year-old woman in a marked crosswalk... The issue is across North America.European buses have thin corner pillars and mirrors raised above the driver's field of view. Drivers can clearly see pedestrians... North American buses have a large mirror attached to a pillar made thick with Fiberglas and an extra rubber seal holding in the window...In Edmonton, that blind spot measures 35 centimetres from the window to the edge of the mirror .. If a bus is sitting in traffic waiting to turn left, 19 people could stand side by side on the far side of the street and disappear from the driver's view, said Brian Sherlock, safety specialist with Amalgamated Transit Union International.He spent the last three years lobbying New Flyer and other bus manufacturers to change their design... Edmonton, ALB, CAN - Edmonton Herald, by ELISE STOLTE - OCTOBER 07, 2016
* Massachusetts - The latest Megabus accident did not result in any fatalities, though most of the passengers' luggage was lost
-- Famous for its cheap prices and double decker look, a Megabus bound for Minneapolis caught on fire outside of Chicago on Sunday. Although no one was injured, the accident gave riders a shock and stoked existing concerns about the safety of bargain buses... The incident took place near the Illinois-Wisconsin border on Route 41 Sunday afternoon, according to fire officials. The driver and roughly 40 passengers were all able to exit the vehicle before firefighters arrived, but most of their luggage was lost. The cause of the fire remains unknown, and the vehicle sustained severe damage... Megabus spokesman Sean Hughes, the director of corporate affairs for the line's parent company, Coach USA North America, said the company will fully cooperate with the investigation... Megabus isn't the only discount bus company that has faced scrutiny for safety concerns. After a string of accidents in 2012, the Department of Transportation shut down 26 bus companies, not including Megabus, that provided services down the East Coast. A year-long investigation found that many bus drivers were driving without a license and were working long, strenuous hours. Many failed to pass the drug-alcohol test... In general, studies have found that riding in buses is many times safer than traveling by car... (Photo: Megabus Catches Fire on Suburban Chicago) -- Boston, MASS, USA - Yahoo/The Christian Science Monitor, by Cathaleen Chen - February 22, 2016
GLASS EXIT DOOR TROUBLES * China: Woman lost her balance and smashed the glass
* Hong Kong - Bus door smashed after rider loses balance
-- A middle-aged woman hurt her arm and suffered a hard blow to the head when she lost her balance and smashed the glass exit door on a bus making a turn... Fortunately, a handrail across the door prevented Au Wing-suen, 51, from being thrown out of the double-decker bus in Tsim Sha Tsui... It was the second such incident this month... Police said Au was about to alight and had left her seat...As she was about to press the bell, the Kowloon Motor Bus route 219X turned right from Salisbury Road into Nathan Road and she lost her balance, hitting and smashing her hand and head against the door...Au was not hurt by the glass fragments, although broken glass was scattered on the roadside... KMB set up a committee following that accident to review and enhance passenger safety while a bus is in motion... (Photo: Police officers examine the bus at the scene of the accident in Kowloon Bay) -- Kowloon, Hong Kong, China - The Standard, by Yupina NG - 18 Feb 2016
* New York - Calls mount to rein in tour buses. City Officials, Times Square Groupurge better controls after crash
(Video from YouTube, by WorldBreakingNews -Aug 5, 2014: 14 Hurt in New York City theatre district bus crash) NY,USA -The WSJ, by Yony Bashan -Aug. 7, 2014:-- Some members ofthe City Counciland an organization that represents Times Square business owners issued calls Thursday for better management of the city's sightseeing buses following a collision earlier this week between two double-deckers that left 18 people injured... As prosecutors await the results of toxicology tests on the driver charged in the Tuesday crash, attention has turned toward bottlenecks and public-safety issues some say are created by the tour-bus fleet...CityCouncilman Ydanis Rodriguez, chairman of the council's Transportation Committee, said he was disturbed to learn the driver charged in the collision had faced 20 administrative suspensions on his driving record... Mr. Rodriguez said that driver, William Dalambert, 58 years old, may have posed an unacceptable risk behind the wheel... Under a City Council bill Mr. Rodriguez saidhe intended to introduce, the city wouldn't issue required permits to bus drivers who had three or more safety infractions on their motor-vehicle license within a 10-year period...
* Maharashtra - Contract buses involved in most PMPML accidents
(Photo: Red alert: Police officials conduct a panchnama after a fatal accident involving a PMPML bus)
Pune,Maharashtra,India -Mid-Day -29 May 2014:-- And yet, say officials, the transport body cannot act against contractors’ drivers... With the safety record of the Pune Mahanagar Parivahan Mahamandal Limited already in tatters, the loss of two more lives has once again shifted focus on the negligible action being taken against any of the drivers of the buses involved in fatal accidents... On Sunday night, two motorcycle-borne youngsters were killed after being hit by aPMPML bus in Kondhwa, taking the number of persons killed in bus mishaps to 15 since the start of the year...The worrying fact emerging of this latest incident is that the bus involved in the accident is a PMPML contract bus, which was added to the fleet four months ago. Of the 15 fatal casualties this year, statistics reveal that contract buses have killed nine persons so far...
Cajamarca,Peru -BBC News (UK) -10 January 2009: --At least 30 people have been killed and 20 others injured in a bus crash in northern Peru, policesaid... The bus, which was carrying about 50 passengers, plunged 150m (492ft) when it veered off the road after the driver lost control,Mr Perez said...Correspondents say it is a tough battle to control the large number of illegal bus companies when more than half of Peruvians live below the poverty line... Because many people would rather pay less and take a chance, it is easy for cavalier bus operators to fill their seats with little or no regard for safety...(Photo by El Mercurio -Ecuador)
* USA -50-plus-vehicle pileup clogsNew Hampshireinterstate Story Highlights, involving cars, buses, 18-wheelers
Derry,NH,USA -CNN -11 Jan 2009: --More than 50 vehicles -- including a bus carrying Boy Scouts -- collided in a massive pileup on a snow-sweptNew Hampshire interstateSunday, closing the highway in one direction for five hours, authorities and witnesses said...There were no fatalities and no apparent life-threatening injuries, although rescue personnel were working to extricate people from crushed vehicles onInterstate 93 near Derry, according to Lt. Chris Aucoinof the New Hampshire State Police...Stephanie Hasenauer was traveling with her son on a bus taking about 30 Boy Scouts on a ski trip. She said the bus came upon an auto accident at about 9 a.m. and stopped... Then, she said, "at least 30 or 40 cars all piled up behind us"...(Photo: Cars and buses are crunched together after a major pileup on Interstate 93 on Sunday - VIDEO from Nick Valencia/CNN)
* Canada -All Passengers should recover following Greyhound BusAccident
Prophet River,BC,Canada -Energetic City -November 1, 2008: --3 people remain in critical condition following aGreyhound Busroll over nearProphet River, BC... The bus left Fort NelsonSaturday morning at about 4:30am and crashed at about 5:30am. In total 23 people, including the driver, where on board the bus when it crashed...The accident appears to have been caused by icy road conditions onthe Alaska Highwaynear Prophet River.At one point a passenger was trapped in the bus while emergency crews made the 100km drive fromFort Nelsonto attend the scene...Through preliminary investigation, it appears that the bus began to slide on the slippery road and fell onto it's side off the shoulder of the road...(Photo Courtesy Nelson Loe - The Greyhound Accident near Prophet River Saturday Morning)
* Philippines -6 killed, 60 hurt in NLEX mishap
Luzon,Philippine -Philstar, by Cecille Suerte Felipe and Ding Cervantes-November 2, 2008: --Six persons were killed while over 60 others were injured yesterday yesterday when an overloaded passenger bus collided head-on with a Toyota Revo along the North Luzon Expressway (NLEX) in Mabalacat, Pampanga, as millions were in a rush to go home to the provinces for the commemoration of All Saints’ Day...Superintendent Ferdinand Villanueva, chief of the Highway Patrol Group of the Central Luzon police, saidthe accident took place along theNLEX in Sta. Ines in Mabalacat town, when the speeding passenger bus of Fermina Bus Lines with license plate XHE-329 overtook another vehicle. The bus crossed over to the opposite lane and rammed theToyota Revowith license plate NYA 618 at around noon...(Photo by Joven Cagande - A member of a highway rescue team collects belongings of passengers of a bus involved in a head-on collision with an AUV on the North Luzon Expressway in Mabalacat, Pampanga yesterday)
* India -Nightmare atGhonse Ghat; 22 killed as bus plunges 45 ft down
Mumbai,India -The Indian Express-Nov 02, 2008: --Twenty-two passengers were killed and over 30 injured when aState Transportheaded towardsDive Aagharveered out of control and plunged into theGhonseghat nearRaigad’s Mhasala tehsil, on Saturday morning. The Maharashtra State Road Transport Corporation (MSRTC) bus had left the Thane depot early Saturday morning and was passing through the ghat when the driver veered off the road at a sharp turn... “The accident occurred at around 11 am when the bus was negotiating the sharp turns on the Ghonse ghat. The driver must have lost control as the bus veered off the road when it was supposed to take a turntowards the left and directly plunged into the ghat, 40-45 feet below,”said Police sub-inspectorP P Chauhanof the Mhasala police station...
Cajamarca,Peru -BBC News (UK) -10 January 2009: -- At least 30 people have been killed and 20 others injured in a bus crash in northern Peru, police said... The bus, which was carrying about 50 passengers, plunged 150m (492ft) when it veered off the road after the driver lost control, Mr Perez said... Correspondents say it is a tough battle to control the large number of illegal bus companies when more than half of Peruvians live below the poverty line... Because many people would rather pay less and take a chance, it is easy for cavalier bus operators to fill their seats with little or no regard for safety... (Photo by El Mercurio -Ecuador)
Derry,NH,USA -CNN -11 Jan 2009: -- More than 50 vehicles -- including a bus carrying Boy Scouts -- collided in a massive pileup on a snow-swept New Hampshire interstate Sunday, closing the highway in one direction for five hours, authorities and witnesses said... There were no fatalities and no apparent life-threatening injuries, although rescue personnel were working to extricate people from crushed vehicles on Interstate 93 near Derry, according to Lt. Chris Aucoin of the New Hampshire State Police... Stephanie Hasenauer was traveling with her son on a bus taking about 30 Boy Scouts on a ski trip. She said the bus came upon an auto accident at about 9 a.m. and stopped... Then, she said, "at least 30 or 40 cars all piled up behind us"... (Photo: Cars and buses are crunched together after a major pileup on Interstate 93 on Sunday - VIDEO from Nick Valencia/CNN) 
Prophet River,BC,Canada -Energetic City -November 1, 2008: -- 3 people remain in critical condition following a Greyhound Bus roll over near Prophet River, BC... The bus left Fort Nelson Saturday morning at about 4:30am and crashed at about 5:30am. In total 23 people, including the driver, where on board the bus when it crashed... The accident appears to have been caused by icy road conditions on the Alaska Highway near Prophet River. At one point a passenger was trapped in the bus while emergency crews made the 100km drive from Fort Nelson to attend the scene... Through preliminary investigation, it appears that the bus began to slide on the slippery road and fell onto it's side off the shoulder of the road... (Photo Courtesy Nelson Loe - The Greyhound Accident near Prophet River Saturday Morning)
Luzon,Philippine -Philstar, by Cecille Suerte Felipe and Ding Cervantes -November 2, 2008: -- Six persons were killed while over 60 others were injured yesterday yesterday when an overloaded passenger bus collided head-on with a Toyota Revo along the North Luzon Expressway (NLEX) in Mabalacat, Pampanga, as millions were in a rush to go home to the provinces for the commemoration of All Saints’ Day... Superintendent Ferdinand Villanueva, chief of the Highway Patrol Group of the Central Luzon police, said the accident took place along the NLEX in Sta. Ines in Mabalacat town, when the speeding passenger bus of Fermina Bus Lines with license plate XHE-329 overtook another vehicle. The bus crossed over to the opposite lane and rammed the Toyota Revo with license plate NYA 618 at around noon... (Photo by Joven Cagande - A member of a highway rescue team collects belongings of passengers of a bus involved in a head-on collision with an AUV on the North Luzon Expressway in Mabalacat, Pampanga yesterday)
