Sydney gas buses to get new fire suppression systems
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Last year, an explosion took place on a gas-powered bus in Sydney, Australia. The incident took place on Beauchamp Street, Hillsdale, when the bus was on its way back to the Port Botany Depot. No passengers were on board.
Recently, the Rail, Tram and Bus Union (RTBU) received footage of the explosion and fire. The footage shows a passing motorist alerting the bus driver to a fire at the back of his bus, followed by the driver unsuccessfully attempting to extinguish the fire. This has led the RTBU to organise industrial action, with bus drivers taking nearly 700 gas-powered buses off the road as a result of concerns over safety.
Now, though, the State Transit Authority (STA) has announced that fire suppression systems will be installed in 255 of Sydney's gas buses, bringing an end to the industrial action. The STA will be inviting suppliers to submit tenders for installing fire suppression systems to the engines of their Mercedes-Benz 0500 CNG buses.
A NSW Industrial Relations Commission (IRC) hearing was convened in response to the industrial action, and this is where the STA announcement was made. Critics have asked why such safety measures weren't already in place, and RTBU spokesman Gary Way said that having a fire suppression system fitted "would have made a huge difference" in the explosion and fire which precipitated the bus drivers' strike.
Gas-powered buses should also be fitted with driver alarm systems, and drivers should receive additional training for emergencies, according to the RTBU. They have been ordered by the IRC to lift all bans on driving state-owned gas buses, and delegates from all affected depots have been told to form a sub-committee through which negotiations with the STA can proceed.
Article Source: Articlelogy.com
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