Various 'open-top bus conversion' incidents, usually involving railway bridges

[whole diary]

[stuving]

This one, from Euronews, is a bit further afield:

Coach has its roof sheared off in low tunnel near Lille
27/07 00:41 CET^▸ (Controlled Emission Toilet)

More than 30 people have been injured, six of them seriously, after a coach carrying Spanish students had its roof sheared off as it crashed into a low tunnel in northern France.

The incident happened at 5.30 Sunday morning at La Madeleine near Lille.

The injured were taken to hospital.

One student who had only been slightly injured described what happened:

^I was sleeping, I was with eyes closed. I suddenly heard a lot of sound and it smelled like smoke, and glass is broken, everywhere, people bleeding ^ a disaster.^

Dr. Fran^ois Ducrocq, who attended the accident said the crash had obviously been ^incredibly violent in nature^ and had a happened when the majority of passengers had been asleep.

The coach with 59 people on board had been en route from Bilbao to Amsterdam.
Some reports say the driver was following the vehicles GPS directions and apparently failed to see the signs showing the maximum height of the tunnel.

Those uninjured were taken to a sports centre in La Madeleine while arrangements were made for their return.

That report contains a video; here is a still from La Voix du Nord (one of a set of many)


This is also unusual in that it was not a double decker to start with. I guess it's fortunate it was at night, so no-one was sitting up straight.

The site is the first of a series of "minitunnels" on the main road from Lille to Roubaix and Turcoing; they are a local speciality. You may know the road, it's the one the trams run along. From other reports the drivers were familiar with the route, and the portal with warning dangly things on it was in place - having been demolished (the whole portal, that is) more than once recently by seriously oversize trucks.

[onthecushions]

I wonder what the railway solution to this would be as opposed to the laissez faire attitude of the DfT^» (Department for Transport - about) Roads Executive.

Infra-red beam height detection linked to traffic signals with sufficient overlap to brake to a stop?

Adding the cost to bus fares?

I do admire bus drivers' skill at navigating the latest 11m monsters around modern road systems.

OTC

[stuving]

I wonder what the railway solution to this would be as opposed to the laissez faire attitude of the DfT^» (Department for Transport - about) Roads Executive.

It would be for the local (traffic) authority to actually do anything. I wonder, would they need further legal powers to build something intended to cause damage to vehicles? I imagine a bridge owner (such as a railway) might in theory erect something, but would rarely own enough land to the side of the bridge.

In the Lille case what I so elegantly described as "dangly things" look like this (courtesy Street View). I imagine they bang on the roof like a troupe of Japanese drummers, which should have worked for a coach. For a large van (which is mostly what gets stuck there) the cab may be below the limit, so they would be drumming on the load body - perhaps that is one limit of passive measures, together with whyever this coach got past it.

[JayMac]

From the Evening Standard:

London bus crash: Roof ripped off packed tourist bus after it crashes into tree in Bloomsbury



The roof of a packed tourist bus was ripped off when it crashed into a tree in central London this afternoon.

Four people were taken to hospital after the cover of the bus - which had been partly open-topped - was wiped out by an overhanging branch.

Passengers were left sitting in the packed top deck with the detached roof resting up against the side after the collision in Bloomsbury.

London Ambulance Service said nine people were treated and four taken to hospital following the accident in Woburn Place, close to Russell Square Tube station.

The London Fire Brigade was forced to lift one passenger out of the upper deck.



Craig Douglas, 28, said passengers were "hugging and consoling" each other after their "miraculous" escape.

The salesman from Essex, who witnessed the aftermath, said: "The roof was hanging off even though the branch really did not look big enough to do it; I don't know how it happened.

"Everyone was standing up and seemed rather okay. A few people were hugging and consoling each other.

"It looked miraculous that everyone got away, the whole roof was off and there was glass all over the floor."

The London Fire Brigade said crews were called at 1.12pm.

A spokesman said: "Firefighters were called to Woburn Place in Bloomsbury after a tourist bus collided with the overhanging branch of a tree.

"The impact removed the roof of the bus. Four people were taken to hospital and around 40 other uninjured passengers were looked after by police and LAS staff in a nearby building."

A spokesman for LAS said: "We sent a number of resources to the scene including the hazardous area response team, a cycle responder, an advanced paramedic practitioner and London^s Air Ambulance to the scene.

"We treated nine patients in total, and we took four people to hospital."

The tour bus company has been contacted for a comment.

[TonyK]

From the Evening Standard:







"Everyone was standing up and seemed rather okay. A few people were hugging and consoling each other.

Every cloud has a silver lining, I suppose. Pass me the pretty one...

[grahame]

Every cloud has a silver lining, I suppose. Pass me the pretty one...

That is a politically incorrect statement.   But I chuckled ... it reminded me of the time I flew from Mexico City to Gatport overnight.

Mexico City airline terminal was a dimly lit and dingy building, and crowds were gathering - mainly large gentlemen in crumpled suits who looked like they'd done a day in the office already and were heading for the red-eye.   And there was one - beautiful - siren in amongst them, wearing shorts so short that you felt she would be cold as soon as she left the terminal at Gatwick.   And I wondered "who's lucky enough to be sitting next to her".

That flight was fascinating - I ended up discussing the ranking - formal and informal - of members of communities on social media sites such as ours, and how there's rule and guidelines and special case.   Talk too of moderation and admin, and a great deal of food for thought.  I learned a lot that night.  And I was sorry to say "goodbye" to her as we left the plane.

[JayMac]

Did she join the forum? 

[LiskeardRich]

From the Evening Standard:







"Everyone was standing up and seemed rather okay. A few people were hugging and consoling each other.

Every cloud has a silver lining, I suppose. Pass me the pretty one...

This one was already open top, albeit with half a roof.

[TonyK]

That is a politically incorrect statement.   But I chuckled ...

Do you recall the closing part of an episode of "Alas Smith and Jones"? The late great Mel Smith says "In next week's programme, "Is political correctness dead?" We ask a leading poof."

[grahame]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-manchester-34198572

Rochdale bus crash: Seventeen hurt as roof shears off

A double-decker bus has crashed into a railway bridge in Rochdale, shearing off the roof and injuring 17 people.
The incident happened in Milkstone Road shortly before 12:30 BST. Fourteen ambulances were sent to the scene.
One man in his 20s suffered a broken jaw and a woman was taken to hospital with serious facial injuries.
Twenty-five people were on board and managed to get off the vehicle, which was not on its usual route. The bus company has launched an investigation.

[Chris from Nailsea]

An update on the latest incident, from the BBC^» (British Broadcasting Corporation - home page):

Rochdale bus crash: Driver is 'relieved of duties'



The driver of a bus in which 17 people were injured when it went under a bridge and ripped off the roof, has been "relieved of her duties".

The double-decker crashed into a railway bridge in Rochdale, Greater Manchester, on Wednesday.

First Bus said it was the driver's second incident since June but denied reports she had been suspended.

The firm and Greater Manchester Police are currently conducting separate investigations.

A First Bus spokesman said the driver had been "relieved from duty" during its inquiries and Wednesday's incident was currently not a disciplinary matter. "She suffered shock. On safety grounds we wouldn't expect the driver to get back behind the wheel at the moment. And we wouldn't expect her to work while an investigation is on going," he added.

The firm said she also had "a minor incident involving a scraped mirror" since starting her role in June.

One man suffered a broken jaw and a woman was taken to hospital with serious facial injuries after the vehicle crashed on Milkstone Road shortly before 12:30 BST.

The number 17 bus was about half-a-mile away from its usual route between Manchester and Rochdale.

Twenty-five people were on board and managed to get off the vehicle.

[LiskeardRich]

The firm said she also had "a minor incident involving a scraped mirror" since starting her role in June

Spatial awareness isn't her strong point then! 

Scraped mirrors though I assume to be a daily occurrence. On my Ride Cornwall outing on Friday, 2 different buses of the 8 I travelled on scraped their mirrors on hedges, resulting in the driver having to get out and adjust his mirror at the next stop.

[GBM]

Scraped mirrors though I assume to be a daily occurrence. On my Ride Cornwall outing on Friday, 2 different buses of the 8 I travelled on scraped their mirrors on hedges, resulting in the driver having to get out and adjust his mirror at the next stop.

Quite a few mirrors are not that tight, so even the slightest touch with shrubbery will result in a folded mirror.
On some runs (such as the 1;1A;300/17B) you are frequently hedge-hopping to avoid oncoming traffic.  Likewise the odd panel damage will happen when trying to pass another large vehicle in a narrow confine.
Panel damage will result in the inevitable "investigation" and awarding of points.




Edit note: Quote marks fixed, for clarity. CfN.

[Chris from Nailsea]

From the BBC^» (British Broadcasting Corporation - home page):

Bus loses roof in Bournemouth bridge crash


The bus kept going for about 30m after its roof was taken off

The roof of a double decker bus carrying overseas students was sliced off while going under a railway bridge in Bournemouth.

Two 13-year old girls received minor injuries as the roof came off when the unmarked bus travelled under the bridge at Clingan Road shortly before 08:30 BST.

BBC Reporter Emily Hudson described "a mangled wreckage" under the bridge.

Rail services between Bournemouth and Brockenhurst have been suspended.


The bus was carrying overseas students who were studying in Bournemouth

______________________________________

At the scene: BBC Radio Solent reporter Emily Hudson

The bus kept going at least 30 metres before coming to a halt and is now surrounded by a large cordon.

The complete top of the bus has come off, with the wreckage lying in the road.

It appears the children had the sense to duck - it is a miracle no-one was more seriously hurt.

A lot of children saw what happened and there are a lot of distressed faces in the playground.

_______________________________________

The bus was carrying overseas students from an English language school in the town. They were taken into a nearby junior school where they were given first aid by staff.

A South Western Ambulance spokesman said one girl was treated for a hand injury and another suffered minor head and facial injuries.

Road closures are in place and rail engineers are assessing the bridge.

[Chris from Nailsea]

From the BBC^» (British Broadcasting Corporation - home page):

Roof ripped off bus in Middleton railway bridge smash


The bus was out of service and no passengers were on board

The roof of a double-decker bus was ripped off when it crashed into a railway bridge.

The Stagecoach bus was returning to depot when it collided with the bridge in Joshua Lane, Middleton, Greater Manchester, at about 19:00 BST on Tuesday.

No passengers on board and the driver was uninjured.

Greater Manchester Police tweeted a picture with the caption: "Big recover bill and 1 less bus on the roads".

The force later tweeted: "Luckily no one was on the top deck and no one hurt."

Stagecoach confirmed the bus was out of service and the company was assisting police with inquiries.

It is also carrying out its own investigation.