Groups | Search | Server Info | Keyboard shortcuts | Login | Register [http] [https] [nntp] [nntps]

Groups > cam.transport > #41565

Re: 6 million fine for busway deaths

Show all headers | View raw

In message <duh*j1--z@news.chiark.greenend.org.uk>, at 19:21:27 on Wed, 
16 Apr 2025, Theo <theom+news@chiark.greenend.org.uk> remarked:
>The county council has been fined £6m for three deaths on the busway:
>https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cdrg65y3107o
>
>"In court, the council was criticised for its dismissive and defensive
>handling of concerns that included poor signage, unsafe crossings and poor
>lighting.
>
>It heard there was no risk assessment in place until 2016 - a fact the judge
>described as "particularly shocking".
>
>Several accidents had also never been reported to the HSE, the court was
>told.
>
>It heard that when the health and safety watchdog issued an improvement
>notice in 2018, the authority appealed the notice.
>
>The council claimed it was "unwarranted and unlawful" as it had never been
>in breach of safety laws, the court was told.
>
>Ben Compton KC, for Cambridgeshire County Council, requested that the
>authority be given six years to pay the £6m, adding: "It's a council - these
>are hard times."
>
>But the judge rejected this, saying it had more than £18m in reserves to
>cover legal risks.  It gave it three years to pay, and ordered that it paid
>more than £292,000 in outstanding costs."
>
>Shortly after the verdict was announced, 19 people were injured and 11 put
>in hospital after two guided buses and a fire engine crashed in Northstowe:
>https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cwynrrv27p2o

I'm wondering if they will need to replace the conventional traffic 
lights with wig-wags, which have the added force of "Do not pass under 
any circumstances, even if you an emergency vehicle on blues and twos".

Usually at level crossings, of course. Although there are also some on 
the road to Newmarket where it passes the end of the airport runway.

Meanwhile, the buses aren't guided across the level crossing, for 
obvious reasons, and the drivers have to "aim" for the quides at the far 
side. Unfortunately, looking at the photos of the Northstowe incident it 
looks like the northbound bus hit the front of the fire engine and was 
deflected head-on into a coincidentally southbound bus.

>All predicted long ago... #noguidedbus

The problem with that campaign was that its alternative was even wackier 
and impractical than the misguided bus. It also didn't address the 
southern leg from the station to Addenbrookes and Trumpington.
-- 
Roland Perry

Back to cam.transport | Previous | Next — Previous in thread | Next in thread | Find similar | Unroll thread

Thread

6 million fine for busway deaths Theo <theom+news@chiark.greenend.org.uk> - 2025-04-16 19:21 +0100
  Re: 6 million fine for busway deaths Roland Perry <roland@perry.co.uk> - 2025-04-19 10:21 +0100
    Re: 6 million fine for busway deaths Clive Page <usenet@page2.eu> - 2025-04-19 11:13 +0100
      Re: 6 million fine for busway deaths Roland Perry <roland@perry.co.uk> - 2025-04-19 12:26 +0100

csiph-web