Coach safety: all talk but no action
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STRONGER coach roofs, the provision of roof hatches, tougher brake performance standards, and strengthening of testing and operator licensing procedures. These proposals were mentioned by Transport Minister Dr John Gilbert in reply to a Parliamentary Question last week.
But there is no sign yet of when action may be taken on any of the points, and little sign of the actual limits that may be imposed.
The Minister also said that he was studying coach seating arrangements and the design and strength of seats with the possibility cf seat belts being installed in some cases.
He rejected the propositions that coach drivers worked excessive hours or that parttimers were more accident prcne, and said that he was reluctant to introduce motorway speed limits for coaches.
Compulsory electric retarders also got the thumbs down although Dr Gilbert said that he was involved in consultations on the possibility of implementing the EEC directive on braking. It is understood this could cause problems to some chassis manufacturers. He also underlined his intention of introducing roofstrength regulations so that the roofs of all new coaches were capable of withstanding a load equal to the maximum weight the vehicle up to a maximum of 10 tons.
But in fact all the products ct the British ccachbuilders easily conform to this limit at the moment.
"I am studying the contribu tion that seating arrangements should make to the safety of passengers, including plans for greater seat strength and for a new energy-absorbing design for seat backs, with all potentially dangerous attachments such as metal ashtrays removed and with a greater height to prevent whiplash injuries," said Dr Gilbert.
The vagueness of the Minister's statement was welcomed by a spokesman of the Confederation of British Road Passenger Transport. He said that it showed that the Minister was not being pushed into taking hasty action without adequate consultations.