FIRST Glasgow has been issued with a warning following a bus crash that saw eight people taken to hospital.

The Traffic Commissioner slammed the behaviour of bus bosses as “wilful and reckless” and has given the transport firm until May 31 to provide a written review of transport management arrangements.

A public inquiry was ordered following a crash involving an ADL Enviro 300 bus in April last year that seriously injured the driver and two passengers.

As a result of the inquiry, Traffic Commissioner Kevin Rooney has also warned that a defect on the ADL Enviro 300 could cause serious accidents in future.

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While Mr Rooney does not have the powers to demand a recall of those buses –believed to be in circulation in their hundreds – his report states: “All operators of these vehicles must review their maintenance arrangements to ensure that no catastrophic failure is allowed to happen.”

As told in the Evening Times, one patient was left in a critical condition and two more seriously ill after a bus crash on the Clydeside Expressway last April 28.

Eight people were taken to hospitals across the city after the single decker First Glasgow bus overturned on the A739 slip road from the Clyde Tunnel heading to the West End. In total. 29 people were hurt as a result of the smash.

A public inquiry was held on November 8, 2018 and January 23, 2019.

This heard that a fleet check by First Glasgow was carried out on May 23, 2018 looking at the suspension components of ADL Enviro 300 buses.

Some 60 vehicles were inspected and seven immediate prohibition notices issued for broken rear spring anchor bolts.

The Vehicle Examiner from the DVSA also found five of the seven prohibited vehicles had broken rear spring anchor bolts recorded on the previous inspection reports.

In one case, the time between bolt replacements was just seven days.

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The DVSA also found rear spring anchor bolts had been breaking on the ADL Enviro 300 since 2013.

Since that year First Glasgow had purchased 647 bolts from ADL for a fleet of approximately 130 vehicles but the operator had not informed DVSA of any specific problems with the anchor bolts.

Prior to the crash, the safety inspection programme had not been enhanced as a result of the large number of bolt breakages, which the Examiner said should have been done.

Traffic Commissioner Kevin Rooney says in his report: “It is submitted that the controlling mind of the company was not aware of the degree of migration in the bolts witnessed by DVSA.

“I find it disingenuous to seek to apportion responsibility for the lack of knowledge in relation to the “DVSA five” at the door of DVSA.

“DVSA may have had the photographic evidence but First Glasgow had the real thing.

“They had the buses with the broken and displaced bolts. Those prohibitions should have been properly investigated.

“They clearly were not.

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“The operator wilfully and recklessly failed to make such inquiries as an honest and reasonable man would make; I take the operator to have had knowledge of the movement of the bolts.”

Mr Rooney added: “First Glasgow has sophisticated systems in place.

“It would appear that the sophistication of those systems may be contributory to the failure in respect of these defects.

“The systems and processes need to be supported by something more personal, more passionate.”

With regards the operator’s professional competence, Mr Rooney writes:“Key compliance staff, the vehicle examiners, sit out-with the control of a nominated transport manager.

“That needs to be addressed.

“However, that shortcoming is not enough to find that the operator in the round lacks professional competence.

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“The first time pass rate and general maintenance compliance is exemplary.”

A formal warning has now been issued to First Glasgow and a review of transport management arrangements will be conducted and the outcome provided to the Traffic Commissioner for Scotland by May 31.

Duncan Cameron, Operations Director for First Glasgow, said: “We note the Traffic Commissioner’s decision that no regulatory action should be taken.

“Safety is always front of mind for First Glasgow in everything we do.

“We constantly look to ensure our maintenance processes are of the highest standards.”