Bendy Bus Response
Our Ref: 191494/2/SCR
Date: 10 May 2005
Dear Ms Brooke
Thank you for your further correspondence regarding the information you received concerning accidents on bendy buses.
Unfortunately, as it is the bus operators that are responsible for compiling the data regarding accidents, we do not have any input into the way this is done. We are therefore very much reliant upon the operators to provide us with reliable and complete data. The information that we have passed on to you is all the data that we have been provided with and that the operator has on their database.
All accident / incident information is collated by the bus operator and reported by them. It is mandatory that the operators fill out the ’cause description’ column which details what happened and who was at fault if
applicable. However, as stated above we rely upon the operator to provide us with this information. The bus operator is wholly responsible for reporting and investigating accidents. We would expect the operators to be as objective as possible, incorporating as much detail as is necessary, presenting us with a concise, clear overall description of the accident.
If you have any further comments or questions please do not hesitate to contact me.
Yours sincerely
Anne Singer
Customer Services Manager
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Our Ref: 191494/1/es
Date: 11 April, 2005
Dear Ms Brooke
Thank you for your request for information dated 23 March, which was received by Transport for London on 29 March, concerning accidents on bendy buses.
Your request has been considered under the Freedom of Information Act 2000 and the information you have requested is attached below.
London Buses exercises control over the specific contracts that we have with the operating companies to run our services. However these individual companies are run privately and we do not have any input in the way in which they record, and input accident data into their databases. For this reason, some of the information we have attached is incomplete.
TfL does have an accident database which records bus incidents. However, this database relies on input from the bus operators, as they are the primary point of contact when incidents occur. They are also responsible for the day-to-day safe operation of their services and for completing incident report forms in the event of an accident. The bus operators are, in turn, often reliant on passengers coming forward to report incidents. TfL is not involved in the accident reporting process or the everyday running of the buses - this is the responsibility of individual bus operators. The accident database held by TfL is therefore populated solely by the bus operators and is reliant upon them providing accurate accident data.
As the individual bus operators input this information into the accident database, information given within the text describing the reason for the accident is brief and not consistent across the different companies.
With regard to the results of any follow-up investigations into bendy bus incidents, TfL only very occasionally receives any feedback, and that which we do receive is restricted to major incidents only. This is because any follow-up investigation would be conducted by the bus operator concerned (who ‘owns’ the incident). Therefore we do not hold this information.
The attached documents detail accidents on bendy bus routes 12, 18, 25, 73, 149, 436, 453, 507, and 521. The data provided is split into the aforementioned routes, on separate excel spreadsheets. It includes data from the time the routes became articulated up until the end of 2004. However, due to the system being reliant upon input from the bus operators, some information is not complete (eg route 18, which is a busy route, has the last accident reported on 25th June 2004). I apologise for the gaps in this information.
Please do not hesitate to contact me should you require further assistance.
Yours sincerely
Anne Sunyer
Head of Customer Services
