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11 people injured in London bus crash

25/02/2010 By Louise Williams 1 Comment

A number of passengers travelling on the number 141 bus yesterday were taken to hospital after the vehicle crashed into Monument tube station at approximately 10am.

All in all 11 people attended hospital, a mixture of passengers and pedestrians, following the crash. Luckily they were only treated for minor injuries after the driver of the bus lost control of the vehicle. The double-decker was reported to have left the road and smashed through metal pedestrian railings, finally coming to a halt after hitting a set of traffic lights. The double-decker was left balancing precariously over the steps leading down to Monument tube station.

The emergency services were quick to respond with the whole crash site being cordoned off, and two ambulances arriving to take the injured passengers to hospital to receive medical attention.

It has been reported that several passengers were trapped under debris and the female bus driver was said to be bleeding. A pedestrian who missed being hit by the double-decker by inches, collapsed in the street in hysterics.

All of the passengers who emerged from the crashed bus were said to be very shaken by the incident. Witnesses described hearing a massive bang, and feeling as those the pavement was moving as a result of the impact of the crash.

The accident caused chaos as traffic around the incident was forced to come to a complete standstill whilst the emergency services dealt with the situation.

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Coach driver jailed after road rage outburst

24/02/2010 By Andrew Morgan Leave a Comment

Coach driver served with 1 year jail sentence for dangerous driving

A coach driver for transport giant National Express has been served with a 1 year jail sentence after his erratic behaviour behind the wheel of a coach service, travelling between Manchester and Aberdeen last June, left his passengers fearing for their lives.

53-year-old coach driver Brian Larred pleaded guilty to dangerous driving. He was jailed earlier this month following a hearing at Carlisle Crown Court. Legal action was taken against the driver from Oldham in Manchester after an incident of road rage which occurred whilst Larred was driving a coach between Carlisle and Gretna.

The court was told how the coach driver attempted to bully other road-users during the trip. Larred tried to intimidate an elderly driver towing a caravan by repeatedly overtaking and slowing down in front of the vehicle. At one point Larred even undertook the towing vehicle on the hard shoulder of the motorway, much to the terror of the 25 passengers onboard the coach.

Larred ignored the pleas from his passengers to drive sensibly after performing a number of dangerous driving manoeuvres. Some were so scared that they even called the police from onboard the coach. The whole nightmare was captured by a camera onboard the coach, the footage was shown to the court.

After the coach was pulled over, one irate passenger punched the driver in the face repeatedly as he was so angry that the lives of his children had been put in danger by the reckless behaviour of Larred. The passenger was later cautioned for common assault.

A spokesperson for National Express confirmed that driver Larred ceased working for the organisation back in August and branded his behaviour as “unacceptable.”

Brian Larred will serve a year in prison for the incident and been banned from driving for 3 years.

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Bristol passengers asked for their opinions on the city’s bus service

23/02/2010 By Tracy Wilcox Leave a Comment

Bus passengers in Bristol asked to give feedback as part of a review into the city's transport service

A review is underway to evaluate the performance of Bristol’s bus service. The council has initiated the process in a bid to improve the service in the city and encourage more people to take up public transport.

All bus operators will be looked into as part of the review, however Bristol’s main bus travel provider is transport giant First. All of the bus companies are said to be keen to be involved in the process and welcome all feedback on their current service and suggestions on how they can improve.

It is anticipated that the cost of bus travel in Bristol will be a hot topic. Another issue likely to be discussed is the downfalls of the city’s bus routes as they were first introduced in the 1930’s, and many are not compatible with Bristol’s new developments as the routes don’t link up.

First has introduced some reduced rates on selected Bristol bus routes and more are due to come into force in the coming weeks. The transport provider says their fares are a true reflection of their running costs. One First’s biggest expenses is the volume of buses they have to keep on the road, between 30-40, in order to combat the problem of congestion and ensure their bus service runs on time.

All of the issues raised by the bus passengers will be addressed during the consultation. The review aims to improve the conditions of bus travel for those in Bristol.

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Jersey set to bring back the double-decker bus

22/02/2010 By Louise Williams Leave a Comment

The double-decker bus could be set to make a return to the roads of Jersey in a bid to combat the problems of overcrowding during rush hour.

The authorities aim to increase the number of passengers they can carry, without having to employ more drivers, by re-introducing the double-decker buses to the island.

The vehicles will now be subject to a series of trials over the coming weeks to determine whether or not it is possible for their buses to operate on the Jersey roads. It will be the first time double-decker buses have been in use on the island since the 1970’s.

A pilot scheme will trial the double-decker vehicles to test whether they are suitable for use on the narrow country roads in Jersey. A double-decker bus will be used on the route between Jersey airport and St Helier, first of all without passengers, to check that the vehicles can navigate the roads.

If this proves a success, the experiment will be repeated, this time with paying passengers who will be invited to try out the double-decker bus service. The authorities will monitor the impact the new high capacity vehicles have on passenger queuing times, and will then evaluate whether the introduction of double-decker buses will be beneficial to the Jersey transport system.

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3 men from Middlesex admit staging phoney bus crash

20/02/2010 By Tracy Wilcox Leave a Comment

3 men from Harrow in Middlesex have admitted setting up a phoney bus crash in order to rake in thousands of pounds in compensation money.

The driver of the double-decker bus, 28-year-old Luqmahn Danial ensured there were no paying passengers on his bus when he staged the fake crash as he failed to stop at a number of bus stops along his route. 6 accomplices were onboard however when Danial deliberately drove the bus into the back of his friend’s car in Brent Cross, North West London.

The driver and the passenger in the car, which was used in the phoney accident, both filed a compensation claim for whiplash. Each were hoping to scoop a pay-out of between £3,000 to £5,000 for their injuries.

The police were alerted to the scam after a tip off from an unidentified source. They investigated the case further and the full extent of the fraud was uncovered. Had they have got away with their swindle, the group would have been in line to win thousands of pounds in compensation.

The driver of the car Imran Hussain and the passenger Mohamad Tabibi, plus the bus driver Danial, all admitted fraud prior to the commencement of the court proceedings. They were each handed a 6 month suspended jail sentence by Harrow Crown Court.

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London’s bendy buses attract homeless people looking for shelter

19/02/2010 By Andrew Morgan Leave a Comment

London’s homeless community have found a new place to hang out. The number 25 bendy bus which runs between Oxford Street and Ilford is one of the longest routes in service taking 2-hours to complete the journey. It was recently brought to the attention of the authorities that homeless people have been taking advantage of the long night journey to get some sleep on the warm buses.

Many bus drivers began to complain after finding a number of people sleeping rough on their vehicles after arriving at their final destination at the depot in Ilford. Often an ambulance or the police had to be called to remove them. This would have a knock-on effect on the bus service as the vehicle would have to be taken out of operation whilst the issue was resolved.

Over a 3-day period a total of 31 homeless people were discovered sleeping rough on the night bus service. The matter is being looked into by the authorities in order to combat the problem. Outreach workers have been sent to the Ilford bus depot to help find alternative overnight accommodation for those who were seeking shelter on the bendy buses.

With the targeted help from the Outreach workers it is hoped that the situation of rough sleepers on London night buses will be taken into hand. This will also result in less disruption to the bus service.

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Seaside coach service for Lancashire pensioners cancelled

18/02/2010 By Andrew Morgan Leave a Comment

A popular coach service to Blackpool for Lancashire pensioners is axed

A seaside coach service for pensioners in the Lancashire area, which has been running successfully for the past 15 years, is to be axed amid problems with funding.

The coach trips ran daily during the peak summer season and were often full to capacity on sunny days. The route ran between East Lancashire to Blackpool and Fleetwood taking approximately 2 hours to complete the journey.

The trips have been under threat since it was announced that the service no longer came under the government free pensioner’s bus travel scheme. Last year the local council stepped in to ensure the service continued, albeit at a reduced level.

However the number of passengers using the seaside service was reduced last year as the pensioners were unable to use their free pass, leaving many unable to afford the basic fare.

Now the passengers face a 3-hour journey and one change if they want to make a trip to the seaside following the news that the direct route will be scrapped.

The coach trip had been extremely popular with the older members of the community as it had allowed those without their own transport to enjoy a day out at the seaside.

The council says it is working hard to try and find a solution which would keep the service up and running. They are urging any interested coach companies to get in touch.

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Bristol Airport bus service to boost fleet with £2million investment

17/02/2010 By Louise Williams Leave a Comment

Bus travel between Bristol Airport and the city centre to be improved thanks to a £2million investment in new vehicles

Bristol Airport bus service will increase the size of its fleet, and improve the standard of travel for passengers thanks to a £2million investment.

The main bus route which runs from Bristol Airport to the city centre will benefit most from the redevelopment. All 9 coaches which are currently used on the fleet will be replaced by 12 brand new vehicles, each costing approximately £180.000, which are already on order.

The new vehicles will join the Flyer Route which operates between the airport and the city and also stops off at some important locations along the way including Bristol Temple Meads Station, and Marlborough Bus Station amongst others.

Transport operator First currently runs the bus service and has recently renewed its deal with Bristol Airport. The increase in the number of vehicles operating on the Flyer Route will mean a more frequent service for customers with buses arriving every 10 minutes during rush hour, instead of every 15 minutes.

Half of coaches which are currently on order are due to arrive within the coming months. The remaining 6 buses will arrive at the beginning of 2011. It is hoped that the investment in the new coaches will help encourage more people to leave their cars at home and make use of the bus service instead, thus helping to reduce carbon emission in the city.

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FirstGroup win contract to supply coaches for London 2012 Olympics

16/02/2010 By Andrew Morgan 2 Comments

Transport provider FirstGroup has won the prestigious contract, worth an estimated £20 million, to supply bus and coach services for spectators during the 2010 London Olympics.

The Aberdeen-based company is said to have beaten off competition from 77 other firms to become the preferred bidder for the contract. Other companies reported to have made it to the shortlist to win the deal were Stagecoach, National Express, and Go-Ahead.

FirstGroup will be responsible for orchestrating a complex transport system during the games which will involve almost 1,000 coaches and buses. The vehicles will do shuttle-runs from designated points around and outside the city into the main Olympic Park in Stratford, East London. They will also be in charge of providing park and ride facilities which will be sited around the M25.

As well as providing transport to the main Olympic stadium, FirstGroup will also lay on buses and coaches to transport spectators to Weymouth in Dorset, and Portland in Somerset where the sailing events are due to take place.

The nationwide operator currently runs some 9,000 buses and 4 different rail franchises in the UK and employs a 26,500 strong workforce. It is understood that FirstGroup’s experience in providing transport for the 2002 Commonwealth Games in Manchester was influential in their success in securing the Olympic contract. The exact details of the deal are still in the process of being finalised.

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Fashion designer Alice Temperley takes her collection out for a ride on a London bus

13/02/2010 By Louise Williams Leave a Comment

British fashion designer Alice Temperley has come up with a unique idea to launch her brand new collection. The Alice by Temperley range is the designer’s first diffusion line and to mark its arrival, the collection will be taken out to the streets of London onboard a double-decker bus.

During its tour of the capital, the bus, which will decked out with the latest exciting offerings from the new Temperley range, will take in some of London’s hot spots including trendy Hoxton, and Somerset House to coincide with London Fashion Week.

The Alice bus will embark on its outings over the coming weeks. The double-decker will be decorated inside and out in a soon to be revealed eye-catching design. The bus will act like a mobile shop where shoppers will be able to board the vehicle and be the first to get their hands on the exclusive collection before it officially hits the shops.

The launch of the new line with the special London Bus tour is also a fitting way for the London based designer to celebrate her 10th anniversary in the business. The Alice by Temperley line has been described as the “younger sister” of the main range, with small items starting from just £55, making it more affordable for the younger women of London.

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