Changes considered after bus crashes into bridge

Transport bosses are looking at changing routes and adding more warning signs after a double decker bus crashed into a bridge.

The vehicle’s roof was torn off as it struck the Bridgewater Canal Aqueduct on Barton Lane in Eccles, Salford on Monday, with three people seriously injured and 17 others also hurt.

The Transport Commissioner for Greater Manchester Vernon Everitt said passengers’ safety was the Bee Network’s “top priority” as he revealed Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham had asked him to produce an “urgent report” on the incident.

As well as a police investigation, Transport for Greater Manchester (TfGM) has launched its own probe into the crash.

A 19-year-old woman, and two men, one aged in his 20s and another in his 40s, sustained serious injuries and remain in hospital in a stable condition, Greater Manchester Police (GMP) said.

The driver, a man in his 50s, was arrested on suspicion of causing serious injury by careless driving and has been bailed pending further inquiries.

Everitt said TfGM is fully supporting GMP’s investigation and all available CCTV from the bus has now been recovered by the operator, Stagecoach, and passed to the force.

TfGM was working with Stagecoach, Salford City Council as the local highway authority and Peel, as the owner of the aqueduct, on its own probe into the collision, he said.

This includes why the 100 service bus was “not taking its usual route”, a TFGM spokesman said.

They have also agreed several short-term measures to be implemented as soon as possible including new and additional warning measures – including further signage at and near the bridge.

TfGM has also sought reassurances from bus operators, local authorities and others with responsibility for managing and maintaining low bridges about how they will mitigate measures to prevent further strikes.

Everitt said it was looking at potentially re-routing services away from the Barton Lane bridge.

He said Burnham has asked him to look into the circumstances around the crash and make recommendations about wider implications for safety on the network.

“I have heard very clearly the concern from the local community that there have been many other collisions at this location over many years,” the transport commissioner said.

He said he has also spoken to the head of a bus operator involved in a separate collision into a low bridge on Ten Acres Lane in Newton Heath on Tuesday.

A Metroline Manchester training bus was being driven by a trainee driver when it struck a bridge, but no passengers were onboard, and nobody was injured.

Everitt said that incident would be thoroughly investigated, too, and form part of his report.

He said it was also helping to support those impacted by the “deeply distressing event”.

“Our commitment to safe operations is absolute.

“Core to this will be the further development of a Bee Network safety standard, as part of our long-term Vision Zero strategy and plan to eliminate death and serious injuries on the city region’s roads.”