RMT CALLS FOR INVESTIGATION INTO BUS FIRES

5 RMT helpline 0800 376 3706 :: january 2021 :: RMTnews A rising trend of bus and coach fires must be “thoroughly investigated”, RMT has demanded after figures obtained by The Scotsman newspaper showed they increased for three consecutive years. There have been more than 200 incidents north of the Border since 2015, the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service statistics reveal. They included a coach catching fire while transporting school children in Livingston in 2019. An industry source has also said that it was likely that not all fires were reported to the UK government’s Vehicle Safety Agency. Figures obtained from a freedom of information request showed the total number of fires tackled by firefighters increased from 31 in 2015-16 to 32 the following year and it went up again to 43 in 2017-18. It rose for a third year to 48 in 2018-19. Last year, the total fell by one, and it has reached 12 so far in 2020-21, although bus and coach mileage is likely to have been substantially cut by the Covid pandemic. RMT has warned that the figures obtained in Scotland are mirrored by a spate of fires on buses across the South West. Stagecoach Bus is still investigating a bus fire last year which nearly destroyed a single decker bus in Tiverton. The driver and passengers all escaped unhurt. RMT regional union organiser Barry West has been asking questions about the large number of bus fires across the country over the last two years. He has been asking the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency, Stagecoach and the Road Traffic Commissioner who is responsible for looking at the bigger picture nationally. "You only have to do a quick Google search to see how frequently fires like this are happening across the country. My concern is that one of these fires could be catastrophic. I don't know that anybody is looking at the national picture and my belief is that we are one small step away from multiple fatalities,” he said. RMT general secretary Mick Cash said that the latest figures revealed a concerning increase in the number of bus fires in Scotland recorded in recent years. “We believe it is important this trend is thoroughly investigated and action taken to tackle the causes of bus fires. "RMT has longstanding concerns about the risks to bus workers and passengers of vehicle fires. "There should be a consistent, industry-wide approach to bus safety which ensures all operators are complying with their health and safety duties, there is a comprehensive evacuation procedure that is communicated to bus workers and passengers, operators ensure bus drivers can directly and easily contact emergency services in the event of an incident, all vehicles are regularly maintained and inspected, and the potential for fires is thoroughly risk assessed,” he said. RMT CALLS FOR INVESTIGATION INTO BUS FIRES DANGER: Bus fire near Denny in August 2018