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RTE report on bus safety, 51% failure rate.

Comments

  • #2
    AlekSmart
    Registered Users Posts: 14,005 ✭✭✭✭AlekSmart


    dense wrote: »
    https://www.rte.ie/news/ireland/2018/0909/992578-bus-safety-figures/


    51% of buses which were tested on the roadside failed.

    Last year it was much the same, with half failing.


    https://www.thesun.ie/news/1411848/half-of-all-irish-buses-tasked-with-ferrying-kids-to-school-were-found-to-have-defects/


    Both Robert Troy and Liz O Donnell have focused on school buses subcontracted by Bus Eireann even though the RTE report doesn't say whether school buses failed the roadside tests disproportionately or whether more private or BE vehicles failed.


    https://www.joe.ie/news/research-safety-standards-irish-busses-reveal-extremely-639818
    https://mobile.twitter.com/MrJustinMac/status/1038767916446097408/photo/1


    Mr. Troy has written to Minister for Transport Shane Ross asking him to instruct Bus Éireann to carry out a full audit to ensure that all buses carrying children have an up-to-date road worthiness certificate.

    There was no suggestion in the RTE report that any of the vehicles which were tested failed to have a current certificate so I'm not sure why he's making an issue out of that?

    Out of a clear blue sky drops a new issue for our ever compliant media to run with.

    Obviously there is a requirement someplace to generate a "debate" on this,and what better way than to involve :eek: CHILD SAFETY !! :eek:

    Very little is being made of the RSA's refusal to supply Bus Eireann with specific details on those failures in the contracted fleet.

    A decision somehow at odds with it's oft trumpted focus on Road Safety above all else.

    As any BE Contractor will attest to,the Inspection criteria for BE acceptance is far from a pushover as can be independently attested to by the Freight Transport Association.

    No doubt Mr Troy will despatch his researchers to get to the truth of the matter before further commenting ?


    Men, it has been well said, think in herds; it will be seen that they go mad in herds, while they only recover their senses slowly, and one by one.

    Charles Mackay (1812-1889)



  • #3
    marieholmfan
    Registered Users Posts: 2,744 ✭✭✭marieholmfan


    Liz O'Donnell ; now there's a name I haven't heard for a looooong time.


  • #4
    AlekSmart
    Registered Users Posts: 14,005 ✭✭✭✭AlekSmart


    marieholmfan wrote: »
    Liz O'Donnell ; now there's a name I haven't heard for a looooong time.

    She never went away Y'know.... ;)

    Slid in to Gay Byrne's old gig at the RSA. ;)


    Men, it has been well said, think in herds; it will be seen that they go mad in herds, while they only recover their senses slowly, and one by one.

    Charles Mackay (1812-1889)



  • #5
    dense
    Closed Accounts Posts: 2,175 ✭✭✭dense


    AlekSmart wrote: »

    No doubt Mr Troy will despatch his researchers to get to the truth of the matter before further commenting ?


    Doubt it. It wouldn't do for him to be having his nerves calmed.


  • #6
    Fann Linn
    Registered Users Posts: 7,770 ✭✭✭Fann Linn


    I'd say Troy will have far bigger problems if BE decide to take 51% of the bus fleet, including school buses, off their routes to get sorted.


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  • #7
    Stephen15
    Closed Accounts Posts: 7,907 ✭✭✭Stephen15


    Are drivers for these operators not adhering to first use checks. I thought it was a requirement and if a bus fails their first use check then they won't be allowed on the until the problem is fixed.


  • #8
    Cookie_Monster
    Registered Users Posts: 24,468 ✭✭✭✭Cookie_Monster


    Take a look at the garda twitter thread in Motors, the number of trucks and buses pulled for all sorts of violations is pretty shocking.


  • #9
    Victor
    Registered Users Posts: 78,234 ✭✭✭✭Victor


    Stephen15 wrote: »
    Are drivers for these operators not adhering to first use checks. I thought it was a requirement and if a bus fails their first use check then they won't be allowed on the until the problem is fixed.
    In the school bus fleet, I imagine there is a lot of owner-operators and other small operators. Rule keeping may be poor.


  • #10
    Del2005
    Registered Users Posts: 18,855 ✭✭✭✭Del2005


    Stephen15 wrote: »
    Are drivers for these operators not adhering to first use checks. I thought it was a requirement and if a bus fails their first use check then they won't be allowed on the until the problem is fixed.

    It's most likely like the HGV drivers problems. Highlight an issue with the vehicle and be told drive it or someone else will and you go on the dole, the company doesn't get the fine so they don't care.

    The report said that they where targeting certain companies so it's obviously the cowboys who send drivers out in dangerous vehicle they are hitting.


  • #11
    dense
    Closed Accounts Posts: 2,175 ✭✭✭dense


    Victor wrote: »
    In the school bus fleet, I imagine there is a lot of owner-operators and other small operators. Rule keeping may be poor.


    Or it may be very good. The report didn't single out school buses for disproportionately failing roadside inspections compared to private or public coaches.



    On your point, drivers for small outfits are probably going to be more reluctant to refuse to drive a vehicle they suspect has a fault because they wont want to jeopardise their or their boss's livelihood.


    At 7am with a blown bulb and no replacement vehicle what will they do? Drive on in what they have.


    A blown bulb now constitutes a "major defect", as the EU fault codes for vehicle tests have changed.


    The NCT is similarly adopting this new categorisation system.


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