[sa_kiran]

Originally Posted by ankan.m.blr

Here's the summary of report after initial investigation
source : ToI

Finally , transport authorities & Volvo are waking up to the problem.
source : ToI

And the operator goes scot-free! There is no mention of the suspect crackers being carried, rash driving, etc. So, this report will not make any impact towards making travels safer and controlling operators. A lost opportunity to rein in the thuggish operators.

Not making a driver drive for more than 150 km - joke of the year!

[sam003]

Let them do whatever, but people are scared of Volvo now, I know few companies those who decided to call their operators to change Volvo with something else, after employees wrote emails to Admin department and mentioned these incidents again and again.

[Chetan_Rao]

Originally Posted by sam003

Let them do whatever, but people are scared of Volvo now, I know few companies those who decided to call their operators to change Volvo with something else, after employees wrote emails to Admin department and mentioned these incidents again and again.

That's just unreasonable herd mentality on display, incited by scare-mongering. Very unfortunate that most of these people are educated and should know better.

This isn't a brand issue. If we use an instrument outside it's safe specifications, it's our fault when something goes wrong, not the instrument's.

You aren't going to be safe from illicit inflammable cargo, sleepy overworked drivers, bad roads and a total lack of driving sense just because the logo on the front grill says Mecedes Benz, Tata, Isuzu, Scania (insert name of your choice here), instead of the 'deadly' Volvo. But as is our wont as a nation, we will always try to fix everything but the root cause.

[shankar.balan]

Originally Posted by Chetan_Rao

That's just unreasonable herd mentality on display, incited by scare-mongering. Very unfortunate that most of these people are educated and should know better.:. But as is our wont as a nation, we will always try to fix everything but the root cause.

I could not have put it better myself.
We will always look at treating the symptom and never go after the cure of the root cause. This is the 'Indian way'. It will not change in my lifetime. Of that I am sure.

[sam003]

Originally Posted by Chetan_Rao

That's just unreasonable herd mentality on display, incited by scare-mongering. Very unfortunate that most of these people are educated and should know better.

This isn't a brand issue. If we use an instrument outside it's safe specifications, it's our fault when something goes wrong, not the instrument's.

You aren't going to be safe from illicit inflammable cargo, sleepy overworked drivers, bad roads and a total lack of driving sense just because the logo on the front grill says Mecedes Benz, Tata, Isuzu, Scania (insert name of your choice here), instead of the 'deadly' Volvo. But as is our wont as a nation, we will always try to fix everything but the root cause.

I do no agree with you here, what fault a passenger is in. Shall some one wait for another 2-3 such incident to happen and then people outkry will go and they come on roads to show as if they really bother about issue. Our system is shameless that's why no manufacture take care of any damn legal actions. They know they will be out of this in few days and we Indians has very short term memory. Another issue will cope up and we will forget what happened to other one.

I still say in India Precaution is better than cure.

[Chetan_Rao]

Originally Posted by sam003

I do no agree with you here, what fault a passenger is in.

Shall some one wait for another 2-3 such incident to happen and then people outkry will go and they come on roads to show as if they really bother about issue.

Our fault as passengers is in keeping quiet just because we believe we're powerless against shady operators. Our fault as passengers is siding with the reckless bus driver when a good Samaritan co-passenger asks him to slow down. Our fault is not caring enough for our own safety. Our fault is waiting for something to go wrong before we try to fix it, and make a hash of that too.

Our system is shameless that's why no manufacture take care of any damn legal actions.

All the more reason for us to be more vigilant and insist on better safety standards. The system will bypass our best interests the first chance it gets, as you rightly mention.

Indians has very short term memory. Another issue will cope up and we will forget what happened to other one.

And whose fault is that? If we as passengers/citizens don't care enough for an issue that can be a matter of life and death, why blame someone else for trying to sweep it under the carpet for selfish interests? If we have the attention span of a fly for issues that affect our lives, WE are at fault.

I still say in India Precaution is better than cure.

Precaution is better than cure everywhere. And the precaution needed here it to insist on better safety and operating standards, from manufacturers, operators, RTOs, NHAI and most importantly, ourselves.

Next time we travel on a long-distance bus, let's take a glance at the cargo-hold if it's carrying prohibited stuff, let's ask the driver to drive carefully within limits, petition the RTO to enforce regulations strictly, petition the NHAI to build roads worth travelling safely on. This nation runs on our effort and hard-earned money, we have a right to demand what's right & best for us.


Those are the precautions we need to take, not refusing to travel in a certain brand's buses because of unsubstantiated claims of 'design' faults. The government itself in the preliminary investigation lays the blame on faulty road engineering and untrained drivers, and Volvo has clarified it's fuel-tank manufacturing and safety testing procedures, while committing to further action to enhance overall safety.

A lot is wrong, and a lot needs to be done to sort things out. Let's take an objective stand and fix issues, instead of indulging in panic-induced mass hysteria. Ban Volvo by all means, but if the same shady operators & untrained drivers continue to ply on the same badly engineered roads, driving recklessly while carrying dangerous cargo by bribing the authorities entrusted with our safety, people will continue to die, Volvo or no Volvo.

[audioholic]

Firstly, I appreciate and agree with the Expert committee report stating that poor road infrastructure played a major role in the accident, however there is an equal responsiblity on the driver too. These people drive volvos like the game snake in old nokia phones. If he had stayed in the lane, be it any speed, all this wouldn't have happened.

I am surprised that no media I have come across till date have really brought out the fact that diesel is not so easily combustible. I have told this before, and am repeating because till date, every article is blaming the diesel tank for the explosion or fire.

When it comes to Volvo buses, everyone is in a catch 22 situation. Private operators have invested crores of rupees on Volvo buses and are running it in every possible route.
Though how big their lobby and influence on Govt is, they still have to run these buses in good occupancy levels for many years if they want to get back their investments. Two cases of fire cant mean that they can just stop volvo services and sell the bus. Again, resale value will become poor and neither will there be any takers for used volvos.

For the customers, apart from travelling in non volvo bus, there is no other go if they avoid volvo.

Hence, we can conclude these two incidents as hard lessons to operators and in order to set things right, everyone will correct themselves, ie the operators - by maintaining buses, implementing strict policies, avoiding transport of goods; drivers - by driving carefully and educating passengers about safety exits and so on.

Its definitely time for some corrective actions other than merely blaming manufacturer for poor design. Its like cutting a branch on which the operators are sitting on.

PS: Volvo must consider making an Ad in the lines of the epic split of JCVD and show their safety features. At least that will inspire confidence in people.

[satnjyoti]

Yesterday's Bangalore edition of TOI carried news about no speed governors were immediately required on the long route buses. Apparently this is to avoid any confusion or clash with the centres guidelines to be issued in April 2014. What a ridiculous logic. It's like to avoid confusion amongst the operators we are ready to forego passenger safety for next five months. Why are these experts still talking about speed governors. Where have speed guns, cameras, highway petrol both manned and looking forward even aerial gone. I wonder what kind of people constitute these committees and call themselves experts. With these not so expensive gadgets and exponential increase in fine coupled with disciplinary action for even 'small thing' like lane discipline, problems atleast on highways could be sorted out. That's 65% fatalities. Worth it.

Even at the cost of public money I think a DL from a developed country must be a mandatory requirement for an 'expert' to be a member of such committee. Already he/she would no what are the basics of high speed traffic management. And yes it doesn't restrict to speed governors only.

[satnjyoti]

Just to continue with my previous post. Read this thing on the net as to the direction in which traffic management is heading in other parts of the globe. It is an interesting read and a mind opener. May be too long a shot for our conditions but definitely a way forward. http://qz.com/151032.

[audioholic]

While the AP forensic department gave a very logical and sensible reasoning to the incident, the KA gov't report looks like some passersby account of the event.

The KA report blames faulty engine and faulty turbocharger to have caused the fire along with the possibility of a short circuit. Also they seem to indicate that the fuel tank caught fire along with the fuel inside due to the impact. How can this happen? Agree that the fuel tank would have ruptured. But catching fire? I dont think so.

[MaxTorque]

The investigation report of the first accident has been published. Authorities say that the driver was doing double duty on that day and bus passengers might be carrying fire crackers.

Some excepts from the source;

The investigation has said that “the driver was overstressed. He could not find brake and was assigned on double duty,” Road Transport and Highways Minister Oscar Fernandes told PTI.

“There were firecrackers also in the Bangalore-Hyderabad bus,” he added.

In the first accident on October 30, 45 passengers were burnt alive, as the Volvo bus they were travelling from Bangalore to Hyderabad burst into flames after its fuel tank caught fire on hitting a culvert at Mahabubnagar in Andhra Pradesh.

[a4anurag]

I had a trip to Bangalore from Hyderabad on the famous route!

I had chosen Orange travels (Mercedes Multi-Axle) for a change as I choose only Volvo's. When I entered the bus there was a sentence written in red colour bold and in capital on the wind shield - SPEED LIMIT 90 KMPH!

And the driver did maintain those speeds throughout and every seat back had this card as a precautionary measure and to educate the passengers.



But the worst part, not one guy has removed and read it.

Anurag.

[naveenroy]

Volvo bus fire probe reveals driver was on double duty - and firecrackers were in the luggage compartment.

http://www.thehindu.com/news/nationa...cle5462447.ece

This nearly makes me go mad with rage. So that is the "cost" of transporting a few worthless firecrackers - a few lives. What kind of human beings have we even become??

[DRIV3R]

Originally Posted by MaxTorque

Some excepts from the source;

[i]The investigation has said that “the driver was overstressed. He could not find brake and was assigned on double duty,” Road Transport and Highways Minister Oscar Fernandes told PTI.

He could not find a brake? That should be break.

Jokes apart, it is the fault of the operator (Jabbar travels) for making the driver do double duty, and the moronic passenger who decided to transport fire crackers.

But I still smell a rat, I cannot think of any passenger from Bangalore carrying crackers to Hyderabad. It could be that crackers in bulk were transported illegally by the operator.

[a4anurag]

Originally Posted by DRIV3R

He could not find a brake? That should be break.

Jokes apart, it is the fault of the operator (Jabbar travels) for making the driver do double duty, and the moronic passenger who decided to transport fire crackers.

But I still smell a rat, I cannot think of any passenger from Bangalore carrying crackers to Hyderabad. It could be that crackers in bulk were transported illegally by the operator.

+1

Regarding the brake oops break, I would have told that the brake is located to the left of the accelerator pedal or to the right of the clutch pedal!

Which person on earth will buy fire crackers in Bangalore as if it is sold cheap (cost wise) and then get it to Hyderabad to either sell it or fire it?!

I have seen people transporting Pulsar's and Splendor's by bus which also should be not allowed.

Jabbar Travels and all the other operators are at fault as they make the drivers do overtime without rest and proper food.

Anurag.