[naveenroy]

Originally Posted by swiftnfurious

Frankly whatever Volvos I have seen are maintained well. It could be that these guys carry unnecessary stuffs on board which lead to fire accidents.

....The way these buses recover their investment is by carrying illegal stuffs, is what I was told. Seeing these buses usually free on weekdays, I don't have many reasons to doubt this claim.

I really think this could have been the case. My uncle who has been in the transport industry suggested that the bus could have been carrying firecrackers - Diwali time. And IMHO, nothing is fail-proof. Volvo would surely have taken into account all sorts of accidents but I don't think they would have even imagined someone carrying explosive stuff in the bus. And to hit something at high speed - to tear the petrol "tank"....

But it is all our own discussions - for my part I can guess what will happen. The government, the travel company will blame Volvo. They will be forced to take the blame.

Another manufacturer is just waiting to get in and take over Volvo's reigns...

[amolpol]

Most of these reports don't talk about the profile of the driver and whether he/she was a certified resource. Volvo giving some free certifications is one part of the deal, but these drivers may leave and new ones will come. The 'new' ones may not necessarily be Volvo certified because of the costs involved.

The state of BMTC buses that are run for intracity transportation in Bangalore is abysymmal, all of them were brand new Volvos once upon a time. Now they're just some rickety machines emitting black smoke and running noisy engines. The interstate buses are no different and even though they may look healthy from the outside, we can never know when was the last service done for that vehicle.

The drivers for the BMTC buses are mostly moved over from other routes without proper training because the trained ones leave in pursuit of better paying jobs elsewhere. I don't think this is a very typical situation with BMTC, the same will be true even for the interstate buses.

The scheduled maintenance costs of the Volvos is pretty significant on a monthly basis and since it eats into the margins, the operators tend to ignore them until a failure occurs. Given the number of buses that ply on these routes and the lower occupancy rates through the week, the bus business isn't hugely profitable if one has to stick to the rules.

In a country where almost everyone can flout the law and get away with it, it's not surprising that these incidents go unpunished. Our judiciary has a long way to realize that justice delayed is as good as justice denied, we may not even live until someone gets convicted for such things.

[DragonHawk]

It is quite amusing to see how Volvo is getting dragged into the scene by the boss of the travel company who has openly came in support of absconding driver and has put entire blame on Volvo.
We all know that Volvo's are known for expertise in developing transport systems for safer and more efficient public transport. I would say they are the pioneers of advanced technology development for range of vehicle safety systems. In India they are the first to bring ESP, adaptive cruise control and many other safety features in CV segment.
In all these 10 years from the time Volvo started plying in our roads, I don`t remember anyone complaining about the design of the buses. But suddenly due to back to back accidents which is clearly due to drivers negligence and errant driving, we are hearing a lot of hue and cry over Volvo`s design engineering. With owners from political background behind the wheels and media which has its own brain, both are severely denting the Volvo's brand image here. Instead of showcasing the loopholes of Indian driving discipline, all are in a mood of blame game. With these bad publicity, clearly Volvo`s reputation is at stake.

[tanwaramit]

While a lot has been said about drivers a little has been talked about the company, Volvo.

Let me put one question, how many times have you seen a petrol car burning due to an accident ?

Let the car be damaged from front, left, right, top or under.

There is a thread on underbody sump hit which caused engine failure due to oil leakage.

but is there anyone which talks about tank getting burst while the car is in motion and engulfing the vehicle in flames?

I fail to understand why the bus burnt like that despite the fact that it wasn't carrying any combustible material as claimed by SP in the Hindu report.

Can't similar development like cars be done for buses such that such accidents donot cause an explosion of the bus? The bus engine can seize but not catch fire. I find it hard to understand why it cannot be done.

Who will do it, Volvo!

So it rests with bus manufacturer to make a bus which is so risky to get out, with safety features in time of accidents, heck, many cars doors get unlocked at the time of an accident.

Indian market is easy and manufacturers take it easy, no doubt that Volvo is a very risky bus to travel in. One underbody or side hit and it explodes and you are trapped in.

For me, it's not going to be a Volvo next time.

[mercedised]

Originally Posted by Warwithwheels

Can you please recheck the facts and confirm? I think the bus was bound to Mumbai from Bangalore.

Check this: http://travelbyvolvo.blogspot.in/201...-14th-nov.html

[Warwithwheels]

Originally Posted by mercedised

Check this: http://travelbyvolvo.blogspot.in/201...-14th-nov.html

The article also mentions that the bus is from Bangalore to Mumbai whereas in your post you have mentioned it the other way.

Is it due to inadvertence or am I missing something?

[starfanrld]

Its amazing that the 2 accidents that occurred in a short period of time were from Private Operators with similar nature of accidents and also are owned by people with political connections. There may also be a family connection between the 2 Operators.

It's a known fact that the Private Bus Operators only care ONLY for the Money they make, mantainence is just extra money they have to spend which reduces their PROFIT. Private Bus Operators come into Business because of Local Politicians who with their connections finance these guys, their Bus Drivers would never get a Job in KSRTC for Sure if the applied for Local Buses forget about Volvo's , they have RTO connivance to guide them along and pay ZERO attention to Driver Welfare which is critical for Long Distance Bus Travel.

Having traveled by KSRTC from bangalore on their Long distance routes for the last 25 Odd years and seen their continuous improvement in Operations, as a Rule I never take Private buses since they NEVER follow the same standard as KSRTC. Have gone on their Over Night and Ultra Long Distance trips from Bangalore to Goa / Mangalore / Pune / Mumbai / Chennai / Pune/ Mumbai / Trivandrum on different occasions over the years i have noticed as follows on KSRTC
1. the Buses follow a safe speed even if there is an Empty road. NO reckless speeding.
2. always have 2 Drivers on the extremely long trips (Bangalore to Goa / Pune / Mumbai / Trivandrum). And Both are Qualified Drivers, NOT Conductors filling in for Drivers.
3. Their Drivers rest the next day as per Rules of Rest before Next Journey.
3. Drivers have had lots of experience driving Buses long before they get to touch Volvo's. The Bus Drivers with Best Safety Records in Local Buses get to learn to Drive Volvo's, work under experienced drivers for a time and then take the Volvo's on road. Keeps their drivers fit and in form. It's a matter of prestige for these drivers to Drive Volvo's.
4. Except for Passenger Cargo they don't carry other cargo unlike Private Operators who carry who knows what Not. If less passengers are there the bus will ply unlike private operators.
5. They don't take Passengers except at their Authorised Pick up points. The Private Operators will Fill the bus like Railways General Compartment. Have seen passengers sleep in the passageway the times I travelled by Other State Private Bus Operators across India.

Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation takes pride in their work and their Superior Safety record speaks for itself on their continuous improvements in the last few decades.

Did I mention they are one of the few Road Transport Corporations in India that is profitable too.

KSRTC started VOLVO Buses revolution in India.

Just my 2 Paisa.

[Thilak29]

I wrote to Volvo Bus via FB, This is the response i got -

Dear Thilak, we are deeply saddened to hear about this tragic accident in Karnataka and want to offer our deepest condolences. Our technical team and safety experts are investigating this matter along with relevant authorities. In regards to the accident last month in India, it is important to investigate these accidents individually before taking any further steps. Safety is our priority and we want to ensure you that we continue to take every measure available to ensure a safe journey onboard all Volvo buses and coaches.

[a4anurag]

Ridiculous this is! The reporters are making hey when the sun is shining for them but not for the families of the passengers.

They have just got an outright chance to thrash Volvo as a worst bus manufacturer for the back-to-back accident that has happened for no fault of it. I feel that Volvo buses have changed the way we look at travel by bus and made it comfortable and less tiring.

I still choose the Volvo for inter-city travels and such accidents don't make me loose my faith on Volvo's. It is the driver that think's he is Michael Schumacher's colleague and drives like he would drive on the Buddh International circuit!

Anurag.

[TKMCE]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ValuJet_Flight_592

First of all why I am quoting a link to an airline accident?. Well-the link shows a major accident where hazardous cargo carried in contravention of regulations led to the loss if a perfectly serviceable aircraft and loss of life.

I travel a lot in buses, a lot from the starting point (areas like Kalasipalayam and Wilson Garden in Bangalore). Many of these bus termini are also cargo loading points. Is there any pre screening of what is carried by most of the operators??? I have hardly come across any such screening.

Will you drive with your boot full of inflammable stuff?What guarantee is there that the cargo in the buses on which we travel are all safe stuff as per regulations? Come to think of it is there any regulation?


So please don't go and blame the manufacturer straight away.

[Chetan_Rao]

I wouldn't take either side's version at face value.


How did the police arrive at the 'no combustible material on-board' conclusion so soon? Given the state of the burnt bus, I doubt a cursory visual inspection would reveal anything. Or are we supposed to believe the SP who in turn believes the operator, just because they said so? It's no secret that inter-city buses are widely used to illegally transport cargo flouting all regulations, and the swift denial without any supporting evidence only makes suspicions stronger.

Badly designed roads, rash driving, fatigued drivers on inhuman schedules and badly maintained buses, all contribute to such accidents. If the vehicle has a design flaw, the manufacturer is responsible to resolve it. From the reports so far, they seem the only ones who have shown any initiative (bringing down a team to investigate). Least we can do is give them a chance to go through with it before jumping to conclusions.

[airfoil]

There's certainly something amiss. Both accidents were relatively minor ones, more of a scrape than an outright collision; both led to tragic destruction.

This seriously calls for a thorough investigation that will hopefully lead to changes in design and relocation of the fuel tank. I wonder how much more it will take before someone wakes up and acts.

Sure, diesel isn't as inflammable as petrol, but as has been demonstrated, it is inflammable enough.

[Ford5]

Ksrtc has a good track record. But i think even they had their Airavat crash like 2 years ago with techies on board to mysore. It was pure driver error back then and the volvo had toppled many times. But no fire or tank exploding kind of news. Which asks the question what is the margin for error on these kind of buses.

[sunil8089]

Originally Posted by Fiest@DuraTec

Moreover, less maintenance = more profit - that is the funda these guys follow. I really don't think it has something to do with Volvo, they make one of the finest commercial vehicles as I know of.

Perfectly agree to you...Maintenance is the key thing.

As far as I know, the owners will loose the warranty, if the owner or unauthorized person try to open it (other than scheduled maintenance) or start using an unspecified local part.

Also another factor is these vehicles are designed at cold countries and primarily runs in countries with lower temperatures. Even-though there may be sufficient thermal protections, they should check how prolonged usage (with less maintenance) is affecting the reliability.

[starfanrld]

Originally Posted by starfanrld

Its amazing that the 2 accidents that occurred in a short period of time were from Private Operators with similar nature of accidents and also are owned by people with political connections. There may also be a family connection between the 2 Operators.

Just to confirm that National Travels is owned by JD(S) MLA BZ Zameer Ahmed Khan from Chamarajpet . Similarly the earlier accident OCT 30 2013 with National Travels Volvo Bus which also had a Political connection.

In both cases the Driver was absconding and the owners were not able to get in touch with their own people.