Volvo Buses India has refuted the Andhra Pradesh CID claim that the Mahbubnagar mishap involving a bus produced by it was because of faulty design.
In a press release issued here on Thursday, the company said it had submitted evidence and technical data with regard to Volvo’s compliance with all stipulated regulation during the investigation. It said the products were fully approved under relevant regulations in India. Volvo Buses not only met, but in some cases also exceeded, regulatory guidelines, it said.
The company said during investigation by its experts, it was found that the bus was running approximately at 100 kmph and experienced a front corner impact collision with a concrete barrier. The impact of the accident was estimated at 5 megajoule (an energy measurement unit) and as a result severe structural damage was caused to the bus.
Its products were developed to minimise the consequences of accidents. Volvo had 12 years experience in the Indian market and over 5,000 buses were in operation in the country having covered more than 2 billion km, the release said. It had trained over 30,000 drivers. However, a majority of accidents involved external, non-controllable factors, it said.