Team-BHP - Buses in India: Lack of Emergency Exits, a recipe for disaster?

Bumping up an old thread which I created when a Volvo in which I was travelling met with an accident and evacuation was tricky. Thankfully, no fatalties there.

But here's a latest report of an accident in AP where 30+ passengers are reported to have lost their lives due to a Volvo accident

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/i...w/24905665.cms

Looks like Volvos are becoming death traps given they way they are driven by maniac drivers on poor Indian roads where safety and road discipline are the last priorities for anyone!

A Volvo bus belonging to Jabbar Travels going to Hyderabad caught fire today early morning near Mahbubnagar and 42 people have been reported to be killed. Unfortunately the driver and cleaner have escaped unhurt after being responsible for the mishap. The driver allegedly was trying to overtake a vehicle and rammed into the divider. Most of the people were from Bangalore as reported by local media.

Quote:

Originally Posted by deehunk (Post 3279745)

The driver and cleaner should be booked for culpable homicide under the indian penal code.Forty innocent people have been killed in what was none of their fault and there must be some accountability for it.

Very shocking to know about the Volvo bus fire accident this morning. It took place around 5 am, when most of the 49 or so passengers were asleep.

I believe the fire was so sudden, that it hardly took a few seconds for the entire bus to be engulfed in flames. My heart goes out to those who met with such a fiery death. What a cruel fate! In another hour, they would otherwise have reached Hyderabad.

To make matters worse, the bus was so much charred, that it was difficult to count the number of bodies in it.

I wonder how the cleaner is responsible. Responsibility squarely rests on the driver. And till the inquiry is completed, we don't know how much at fault he was. Sometimes, we do see weirdo trucks and cars that sway into the path of the overtaking vehicle, squeezing that vehicle onto the divider.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dieseltuned (Post 3280281)

Is it just me OR is there somebody lse out there, who think that there has been a considerable increase in accidents involving Volvo buses ?

I am not blaming Volvo, it also can be related to poorly trained drivers who are not able to handle these buses ?

I am with you on this. Volvo's fault is in letting operators customize the bus by skipping basic safety norms such as emergency exit and driver door.

Bigger issue is the way in which these buses are driven. The high speeds (over 100-110 kmph usually) are just not meant for the poor condition of the Indian roads and the non-existent road discipline and road sense. Most of these drivers think they own the road as they drive a beast which is faster than most vehicles on the road (Anyone who has been to Bangalore and observed the BMTC City Volvos will vouch for this). And more often than not, it is this attitude of theirs and the way they drive that results in such accidents. Overtaking despite seeing a vehicle in the opposite assuming the oncoming vehicle will stop for them, abrupt change of lanes, cutting ahead of vehicles rashly, overspeeding are some aspects which need to change. Anyone who has sat in the 1st seat of a Volvo in Kerala's narrow highways would automatically start believing in God after reaching home in one piece.

And most of the crew are just not trained on how to deal with an emergency.

Quote:

Originally Posted by anachronix (Post 3280116)

Why is the driver & cleaner being held responsible?

Apart from driving like an idiot, what happened was during the overtaking maneuver the bus banged the divider and that caused a spark near the diesel tank.

The bus immediately caught on fire and the cleaner and driver ran out of the bus through the driver's side door window frame.

When they left they hurried for their lives and did not leave the main door open or the anything open. Everything was locked.

Police say if the door was left open at least 15 lives could have been saved.

I have seen the gruesome video of the aftermath. There was a charred body (there were many more) right at the driver side door positioned so the hand of the body was lunging for the door handle. Unfortunately that individual clearly could not make he/she was burned right down to the bone.

The bus also did not have a certificate/permit of fitness.

The main door cannot be opened from passenger side. It seems very odd. Even in planes the cockpit was not secured like this until recently. This is the only way to get in & out, why we should be locked down like this in a bus?

Also in Emergency Exit glass windows there should be an option to open the side panel below the window - up to bus floor level - it will help getting down women & elderly to a great extent. This side panel can have some latch mechanism that can be opened only after that emergency window glass is broken. If this panel open downwards it can also accommodate a small step platform, helping to get down a little more easier.

Quote:

Originally Posted by viggienomad (Post 3280794)

Actually the main passenger door can be opened from the inside, even manually. But the opening of the door is not like any normal door. That is because the door does not rotate about a hinge on the end like usual doors, but hinges about a central point in the middle. Thus pushing/pulling the door does not have the effect of opening. To open it you have to pull it slightly and then rotate it. I have myself tried it in one of my recent Volvo bus journeys. The actual pneumatic mechanism for door opening and closing had malfunctioned on the bus, and the crew were opening the door manually. I too gave it a try, and while its not easy to do, its not impossible.

Unfortunately in a panic situation passengers would normally not be able to achieve that.

As for having a latch below the emergency window, that is indeed a superb idea. It will definitely help the elderly and the young who may find it tough to jump from a few feet high like you have to do today.

It was really an unfortunate incident!

Our authorities should simply wake-up, where are those "intelligent engineers" of transport departments who grant licenses to such buses. It is not only VOLVO, but all fully AC buses in India are lack safety features specially emergency exists for passengers.

It should be mandatory to have two emergency exits on either side in the middle of the bus, just like aeroplanes!

Another bit of news of the Jabbar Volvo accident. The bus company says there was no cargo in the bus hold. It was on a mini van that was following the bus which was ten minutes behind the bus when this occurred and it was that driver who called and informed the operator.

How is that a mini van loaded can keep up with a Volvo that is doing 100kmh+ and is just 10 minutes behind when it is nearing its destination?

Some reports state the front tire was punctured and the driver kept going. How is it possible to drive a bus on a flat tire that too which is the front wheel, even though it maybe tubeless.

There is another report from a taxi driver who was following the bus who said there was fire already from below the bus before it hit the divider.

For a fact I know the bus driver dozed off and it makes no difference if he is survived or not since what he states will be all bull****.

The sad part is, since more and more people re-locate due to jobs and other reasons, these buses will only increase on our roads which is fine, but the trained and talented driver base will decrease which will lead to more of this.

Regards

I don't know which wheel it was but one of the rims was heavily damaged. It was dented from the side that is covered by the wheel. As if it were pinched, almost.

The only thing I can guess is that it was the wheel that hit the divider.

@a4anurag, so ominous that you were on that same bus ! It must be an eerie feeling for you ! If I was you I'd be thanking my luck that my travel timing was fortunately right !