The Volvo Buses on Thursday refuted the assertion of Crime Investigation Department (CID) officials that poor design and absence of safety measures in the bus caused Volvo bus fire at Mahabubnagar in which 45 people were charred to death.
In a press release on Thursday, the Swedish vehicle-maker reiterated that the Mahabubnagar accident was not the result of any faulty bus design. “Volvo Buses had submitted evidence and technical data to CID officials that showed that the bus was in full compliance with all stipulated regulations and in some cases also exceed, regulatory guidelines,” the bus-maker maintained.
According to the manufacturer, an in-house expert team, which conducted investigation pointed out towards the severity of the accident. “The bus was running at a speed of approximately 100 kilometres per hour and experienced a front corner impact collision with a concrete barrier. The result of this immense impact naturally caused severe structural damages to the bus,” the report from Volvo investigating team said.
The bus-maker said that majority of accidents involve external and non-controllable factors. “The way forward to enhance overall transport safety lies in collaboration between relevant stakeholders and continuous improvement across many areas that include road design, driver’s behaviour, bus operations, regulations, policies and Volvo is committed to play its part”.
Volvo Busses would continue to cooperate and collaborate with authorities on the Mahbubnagar accident to facilitate an early completion of the ongoing investigation, the manufacturer added.
