Arriva suspends driver as crash investigation continues
Arriva refused to say yesterday whether it would compensate the 27 passengers injured in Wednesday’s accident that involved three of its buses.
An Arriva spokesman said the cause of the accident was still unknown and the company was cooperating with the authorities.
The company would be looking to identify any measures that can be put into place to reduce the risk of such accidents reoccurring.
“Our primary consideration remains the condition of any person injured, among them our employees,” the spokesman said.
An Arriva bus full of passengers skidded on the slippery, wet road at around 3pm on Wednesday and slammed into the side of the historic Portes Des Bombes in Floriana.
Another two Arriva buses behind then crashed into each other, with one hitting the centre strip.
Twenty-seven passengers and two drivers were injured, seven of them seriously, although none of the injuries was life-threatening.
On Wednesday the company said there appeared to be diesel mixed with rainwater on the road at the spot where the accident took place.
Questioned about this yesterday, the Arriva spokesman said none of the buses involved in the accident was leaking diesel.
The spokesman also said that, while the driver of the bus that crashed first had been suspended until the result of the investigations, as was standard procedure, Arriva would not discuss his previous disciplinary record with the media.
Arriva pointed out that all three buses involved had been purchased for the new public transport contract: the 12-metre “rigid buses” were 16 months old and registered for use in June of last year.
As the fallout from the accident continued yesterday, the Restoration Directorate confirmed it would be seeking compensation from the “entity responsible” for the damage to Portes Des Bombes.
The bus dislodged stones at the back of the historic gate but none of these were of historic value, according to director Norbert Gatt.
He said an assessment of the cost of repairs was being drawn up and works would start soon.
The damage was “very localised” and not “very extensive”. There were no structural concerns and the damage was reversible, Mr Gatt said.
Built in 1721 by Grand Master Ramon Perellos, the gate was extensively restored in 2002 in a €127,000 project.
In the absence of an official explanation about the cause of the accident, internet users took to timesofmalta.com and social media sites, with many expressing frustration with Arriva drivers and the public transport operator generally.
Some used humour to get their point across, with a number of memes poking fun at the perceived danger of riding on Arriva buses.
Earlier this month, Transport Minister Austin Gatt told Parliament that Arriva buses had been involved in 1,619 traffic accidents since the company began operating on July 3, 2011.
But some sprang to the defence of Arriva drivers, with Joseph Vassallo telling timesofmalta.com that he was a passenger on a No. 31 bus heading in the opposite direction when the accident happened.
“Our driver was being extremely cautious because of the dangerous, slippery road conditions,” he said.
According to Mr Vassallo, the driver of his bus lost traction in the front wheels and then the rear wheels as the vehicle came to the bend where the old Gasan showroom used to be. But he twice countered the skid.
“Being an experienced driver, I understood what the driver was dealing with and I have to say that he handled it very professionally,” Mr Vassallo said.
“Ours was an Arriva driver too and he handled our predicament faultlessly.”
Wednesday’s crash was the second public relations disaster for Arriva this month, after London mayor Boris Johnson boasted at the UK Conservative Party conference that the bendy-buses he removed from London’s streets were now “clogging the streets of Malta”.
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54 Comments
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andreana attard
Oct 27th 2012, 12:37
So far, Arriva buses have only had .154% accidents in all their bus journeys since the service started. I think people are generalising too much over how they are operating.
James Dewar
Oct 26th 2012, 17:38
Arriva, carefully select and train your drivers to the required standard and save yourselves further embarrassment and the almost certainty of huge liability claims. I wonder what your Insurers are making of all this negative publicity and speculation about the mechanical road-worthiness of your buses?
E. Azzopardi
Oct 26th 2012, 17:34
We need more supervison on our roads. At the moment there is next to none.
Drivers will be more careful. At the moment is free for all.
Transport Malta seems happy as they said they solved the traffic problems. They have solved NOTHING. It is very obvious.
N Zahra
Oct 26th 2012, 14:15
What sort of question is this 'Will Arriva compensate the passengers?' Well of course they will compensate the passengers - they have insurance and the passengers are third parties. Passengers, just call your lawyers and send Arriva a letter holding them responsible for any damages suffered. Simple really. No different from any other car crash...
Mr Johann Cuschieri
Oct 26th 2012, 12:46
Each and every bus SHOULD have (according to the contract) two or more on board cameras and the police should have full access to the recordings. Hope that the recordings are not deleated 'by mistake'
maria aquilina
Oct 26th 2012, 12:45
As the Restoration Directorate is assessing the damage to be paid by whoever caused the damage,likewise the injured passengers must be compensated .I am sure that the buses and drivers are insured,so the insurance pays.I am afraid of traveling with Arriva.It is not the first time that the driver drove dangerously and had near misses with standing passengers being thrown from one side to the other.
Mr Paul Borg
Oct 26th 2012, 12:26
Re: Disappointed by Arriva Management.. May I ask who is responsible for Driver Training??
Training Management is really hopeless. Most Drivers agree that person responsable for Training Management should resign!
Philip Grech
Oct 26th 2012, 12:22
cont....
Meta jridu ta' l-Arriva jsaqsuni u nsemmilhom xi ismijiet li naf (ghax zgur hemm iktar) ta' xufiera li damu jsuqu ghexieren ta' snin u qatt ma skidjaw, meta skond hafna kienu jsuqu r-racanc.
Philip Grech
Oct 26th 2012, 12:19
Dawn jahsbu li jistghu jibqghu jghaddu nies biz-zmien? Qalu li ebda xarabank minn dawk involuti ma kienet qed taghmel id-diesel. Id-diesel mhux min ixerrdu jiskidja fuqu.
Meta id-diesel kien jiswa 1s.6d. kull gallun, kont tara it-toroq specjalment fil-ghodu, mahsulin bid-diesel. Bil-prezzijiet tal-lum hlief ta' l-Arriva ma tarax iqattru id-diesel.
matin calleya
Oct 26th 2012, 12:18
kulhadd ghandu jhallas mqar ftit percentagg zghir fi flus tal-hsara li jaghmel. darba jew darbtejn jehlu biha drivers, ghalex imbaghad tibda sservi ta detterrent, u kulhadd jibda jsir bil-galbu biex jsuq l-arriva. hadd ma jiehu gost jhallas flus ghall xi haga li mhux tieghu.
E. Cuschieri
Oct 26th 2012, 12:16
I remember Arriva had claimed that they had cameras everywhere on the buses - so how come they haven't seen the footage to see what actually happened? One can easily watch the cctv footage to see if it's driver error, road conditions etc.
Joseph Vassallo, (Bugibba)
Oct 26th 2012, 13:14
If there was unpredictable behaviour by another vehicle (especially in front of the leading bus), it would go a long way to exhonorating the driver.
Sudden jerky manoeuvres in a heavy vehicle should be avoided even when the surface is dry and stable. On slimy surfaces, they can be lethal.
That is another reason why I repeatedly tried to highlight the dangers of carrying standing passengers.
j brincat
Oct 26th 2012, 12:15
"An Arriva spokesman said the cause of the accident was still unknown and the company was cooperating with the authorities"
Shouldn't they be insured for third party risks as is done in other countries!
(jb).
John Dee
Oct 26th 2012, 12:08
A friend of mine was one of the drivers from the UK brought over to help getting the system running, but he made no mention of the specialist training required for one-handed driving (i.e. one hand hanging out of the window) which seems popular with many drivers.
Albert Bezzina
Oct 26th 2012, 11:52
Mr Vassallo's witness account of the prevailing conditions highlight the fact that the road surface offered little traction even on the other lanes too. Was there diesel mixed in with the rain there too? The quality of the road surface was a leading factor. Do the buses have ABS? I have read (car) tyre quality reviews and Chinese rubber is not great in the wet. What make are the bus tyres?
Charles Muscat
Oct 26th 2012, 11:19
Another storm in a tea cup.
Anthony Pace
Oct 26th 2012, 11:10
If the driver of the bus was one of the injured he would have been off sick anyway.I am not sure if you can suspend someone who is off sick!!!
It is the big monsterous buses that are to blame not the poor drivers who are sticking to a tight schedule with poor conditions of work.
Mr raynond ciancio
Oct 26th 2012, 11:04
The company would be looking to identify any measures that can be put into place to reduce the risk of such accidents reoccurring.
one way to make sure of this, get serious or get out
Marie Stella Grima
Oct 26th 2012, 11:03
Please before commenting get to know history during the First World War there were no fighting going on here, Malta was used as a recovery place for injured soldiers !!
Peter Murray
Oct 26th 2012, 11:02
Irrespective of so-called, but unproven by Arriva, unilateral "standard procedure" claims to automatically suspend a driver involved in a road traffic incident such arbitary action implies culpability I would argue,as no one ever gets suspended for doing somthing right or good do they?Is he suspended on full pay?
Pippo de Marco
Oct 26th 2012, 13:30
Whatever it may or may not imply, it is standard procedure to suspend someone on full pay and benefits whilst an investigation takes place. This practice is widespread and the reasons are many. Look them up.
laurent caruana
Oct 26th 2012, 10:48
Id-drivers li jridu jaghmlu tal-Arriva. Mela jsuqu bin-nies fuqhom fuq art mxarrab? Dawn mgienen?? Kull driver suppost jaf li SLIPPERY WHEN WET!!!
R Curmi
Oct 26th 2012, 11:22
kieku tajjeb kont prim ministru int kont itijilna off kull meta taghmel ix xita :D
Desmond Tanti
Oct 26th 2012, 11:38
Kun prattiku sur caruana. X'jaghmlu ghallura? Jieqfu joffru is-servizz ghax l-art imxarrba?
Peter Shaw
Oct 26th 2012, 10:44
The Arriva drivers should take a crash course (pun intended) in driving in wet/hazardous conditions
Margaret Vella
Oct 26th 2012, 10:42
I do not agree on suspending the driver until the investigations are done. Every one can have a accident! .. Are there any records of the accidents that used to have the old buses? .. Check to last 2 years before the change over to compare with arriva's accidents!
Philip Grech
Oct 26th 2012, 12:10
last 2 years? I would dare say last 80 years
M. Baron
Oct 26th 2012, 10:31
@John... well Porte Reale survived the AXis bombing only to be destroyed by Maltese Politicians and their lackeys
John Spiteri
Oct 26th 2012, 10:26
Portes des Bombes survived 2 world wars and then got smashed up by an arriva bus!
George Attard
Oct 26th 2012, 10:32
please excuse the pun here but you missed the bus on that joke John. It's mentioned about a thousand times already.
Clayton Borg
Oct 26th 2012, 10:14
Ma nahsibx li daqshekk difficli issir investigazzjoni serja : sa fejn naf jien hemm aktar min cctv wahda li gee imwahhla kontra l-vandalizmu li kien qed isir . 'Re-wind : Play' u l-investigazzjoni lesta ....
Ramon Casha
Oct 26th 2012, 10:07
WILL THE REAL CONSUMER RIGHTS AUTHORITY PLEASE STAND UP?
Why is there even a discussion about whether to compensate passengers or not? This is not a matter for Arriva to decide. They are responsible, so they pay up, period.
Peter Murray
Oct 26th 2012, 10:17
You will be waiting an enternity for that to happen sir,as theri are only lefts -as in nothing-for consumers here.
Peter Murray
Oct 26th 2012, 10:26
You will be waiting an enternity for that to happen sir,as theri are only lefts -as in nothing-for consumers here.
Paul Kew
Oct 26th 2012, 10:31
It will not be Arriva's policy to automatically compensate. Any injured passengers can make a claim on Arriva's insurance. Bus comanies are no different to any private driver and will have comprehensive insurance and public liabiliry insurance.
D. A . Agius
Oct 26th 2012, 09:55
DId anyone question at all whether other vehicles were involved. Yesterday in the same spot a driver almost crashed into me when he suddenly went from the innermost lane to the Hamrun lane.
On a second note as well, is the road surface in the area a prime factor in this accident? An abrasive layer has been laid on sections of the Birkirkara Bypass to provide more grip for vehicles. None here!
Joseph John Camilleri
Oct 26th 2012, 11:25
Every driver knows that this area is prone to skidding especially when wet. If a normal car happens to skid I also imagine that any other vehicle, beiside a car, such as a lorry or even an Arriva bus can encounter the same predicament. The worry is that buses carry more passengers and thus more people can get hurt if this sort of accident happens.
Andrew Holland
Oct 26th 2012, 11:30
Abrasive layer on sections? So this means that most of the roads in Malta are not abrasive?! Surely every road surface should be abrasive, that's whole point of it, you want to be driving on something that is made from crushed up and tightly packed rough stuff, not ground down condoms!! I've often wondered why Maltese roads are so smooth and slippery compared to UK etc, anyone know why please?
Joseph Vassallo, (Bugibba)
Oct 26th 2012, 13:34
@ Andrew Holland: Totally so Sir reason being the old secondhand plant used in Malta is too heavy for the finishing layer which are made shiny by too much rolling. TM's should adopt standard UK/German specifications.
On shiny surfaces, tyres last twice as long as on sharp ones. If TM adopt the latter, I can see many complaining that the roads are "eating" their tyres.
stephen koludrovic
Oct 26th 2012, 09:45
Are passengers on Arriva buses covered by any sort of insurance?
Margaret Vella
Oct 26th 2012, 10:44
Good question.. who is responsible for the passengers? in a normal vehicle; the driver.. If in this case the driver; do you think that the driver is payed enough for such responsibility?
william cauchi
Oct 26th 2012, 09:42
Combine these 4 elements together:
A polished surface, some fine dust, a little rain............slippery
A heavy cargo (people), some moving about..............unstable
A very tight timetable to keep up with.........................speed
A short 4 week bus driving training ........................inexperience
Result a very dangerous concoction.
Brian Newbould
Oct 26th 2012, 11:00
Absolutely! Were over in Mellieha in Sept. and my wife commented; do any of them drive with both hands on the wheel? They are not in full control!' They come down the hill far too quickly, having to swerve or stop in an emergency does not bear thinking about. Absolutely no anticipation or imagination of the consequences. Luckily we mostly drive ourselves when in Malta & Gozo hoping not to get hit!
R. Cilia
Oct 26th 2012, 14:44
Well put Mr.Cauchi.
Janet Bayes
Oct 26th 2012, 17:49
@Brian Newbould - - that is driving in Malta mate - - everyone drives like that. People drive like it because they live like it. Everything is crisis managed - - EVERYTHING. Deal with it WHEN/IF it happens, not because you can see it might.
Terry Tearne
Oct 26th 2012, 09:36
Walking up the busy hill of Mellieha's main shopping street yesterday morning at about 10am, three buses came hurtling down and all three drivers were driving one-handed - with their right arms hanging out of their windows. This is not an unusual practice in bus drivers, we've spotted it many, many times. Something to be considered when looking into the cause of any accident.
B. Storace
Oct 26th 2012, 09:28
Let us now see how long it will take our public works dept. to bring Portes De Bombes back to its original glory and hopefully we shall not see the scar.
Peter Murray
Oct 26th 2012, 09:16
If Arriva know nothing yet for sure then why suspend a driver? If speeding or driving without due care and attention is eventually determined as a contributing factor in this incident (who will know anyway as the conclusions of this or any other road traffic incidents are never made public?) then they will have to suspend a great many more Arriva drivers.
C Cassar
Oct 26th 2012, 10:05
Suspending the driver is STANDARD practice in these situations, even in countries such as the UK and Germany. Read the article properly.
Peter Murray
Oct 26th 2012, 10:25
It is not "standard" practice at all to suspend the driver as in the article it merely indicates this is the procedure here and no where else .is indicated -so whats to read ?Show us all the legislation- either company or national -where it states such practice is standard.A little knowledge-real or imagined - is a dangerous thing and there is only one Oracle and it is evidently not you sir!
C Cassar
Oct 26th 2012, 10:47
Really?
"The bus driver has been suspended but that is standard procedure while an investigation takes place."
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-essex-15793854
"A spokeswoman for the Metroline bus company said it was investigating the crash and the driver had been suspended as a matter of procedure."
http://www.barnet-today.co.uk/news.cfm?id=29855
Peter Murray
Oct 26th 2012, 11:03
MR Casaar,
Erm hello and and read what was written as we are referring to ARRIVA aren't we?
Pippo de Marco
Oct 26th 2012, 13:42
Arriva is now a German owned company operating in many countries and, unless you know otherwise, it will very likely have standardised procedures to follow wherever an incident takes place.
Anyway, what is it to you ? - And why are you so frequently abrasive ?
Janet Bayes
Oct 26th 2012, 17:52
@ Peter Murray - - it is indeed standard industry practice to suspend drivers of public transport when an accident occurs.
Please choose the reason of your report below: