How safe, travelling by Volvo buses?
HYDERABAD: Most of the Volvo buses, which have airconditioning facility, catch fire due to short-circuit. Besides, the buses have the engine at the rear and a delicate chassis.
There were several possibilities for eruption of fire like disturbances at the exhaust man-pole located near the silencer, leakages from the fuel tank or short-circuit in the engine.
'When a Volvo bus meets with an accident, the damage to the vehicle can be immense and the risk to the life of passengers high.
In the latest accident involving a Volvo bus of a private travel company, we suspect that the fire broke out due to short-circuit soon after the bus rammed the tipper,' said Chandrasekhar, chief mechanical engineer (operations) of the AP State Road Transport Corporation.
He recalled an accident involving an RTC bus a year ago in a district close to the city. An investigation conducted by senior officials revealed that the driver had lost his control over the steering and hit a water pipe that was constructed at the point of a curve.
The bus hit the pipe and caught fire due to the damage caused to the fuel tank. As soon as the accident took place, sparks erupted and fire broke out.
Luckily, there were no casualties then, he said and suspected that improper maintenance of the bus might have caused the fire. The driver should inspect the bus before he taking it out.
'We have to check all key points of the bus. We can find out the exact reason for the mishap only when we visit the spot and examine the scene of accident,' he added.
News Posted: 15 May, 2012
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