THIS dramatic picture captures the aftermath of a crash between a bus and a tram.
Four passengers - two from each vehicle - suffered minor injuries in the accident, on London Road near Piccadilly train station in Manchester.
Road closures were put in place as fire crews prised the two vehicles apart and traffic was diverted down Store Street yesterday lunch- time.
The road was re-opened two hours later - just in time to avoid rush-hour traffic problems.
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Bus and tram in city crash
December 11, 2007
Traffic was diverted from the scene as officials surveyed the damage
Showing comments 1 to 25 and replies | View All
Laura Norder, Didsbury (11/12/2007 at 11:38)
S P In exile, Tameside (11/12/2007 at 11:45)
the beer baron (11/12/2007 at 12:15)
Kiwi-blue, Christchurch NZ (11/12/2007 at 12:40)
alvinlwh (11/12/2007 at 12:43)
The Bobelesque (11/12/2007 at 12:44)
tram driver (11/12/2007 at 12:44)
Kurt Stephens, Sale (11/12/2007 at 13:01)
A few yellow box and traffic light cameras, handing out huge fines to offenders, dotted at each junction in the city centre would make a big difference to congestion of cars, buses and trams, all of which are held up by drivers who are either ignorant of the law, or just cannot be bothered following it.
better off red (11/12/2007 at 13:16)
free on matchdays, and prone to thefts at night.
the trams / trains / underground trains that go above ground in london - all vandalised.
the underground trains that stay underground, paint free.
how many crashes have we had now? How many could have been avoided if they'd followed glasgow / london etc?
and what is that eyesore opposite central library? if I tried to paint my fence red, i'd be told it wasn't in keeping with the area, but that glass 50's style block of an eyesore gets permission. smells of corruption go wafting through the air...
Blue Chris, On The Blue Moon (11/12/2007 at 13:49)
Blue Chris, On The Blue Moon (11/12/2007 at 13:51)
mylifeinthemafia (11/12/2007 at 14:26)
tram driver (11/12/2007 at 14:57)
the beer baron (11/12/2007 at 15:15)
Phil Hulme (11/12/2007 at 16:21)
No, yellow boxes aren't a warning. They are an instruction not to go onto a bit of road unless you can exit at the other side. Unfortunately too many drivers don't seem to realise this.
As for the tram, it looks as if it was coming out of Piccadilly and wouldn't have been able to see a vehicle which was jumping red traffic lights (seemingly another optional instruction these days) until it was too late.
Mr Angry, Bury (11/12/2007 at 16:46)
alvinlwh (11/12/2007 at 16:46)
tram drivers wife, manchester (11/12/2007 at 17:24)
A FRIEND OF A TRAM (11/12/2007 at 17:58)
The world today is all busy busy busy and rush rush rush....There is one point i would like to make i have never nearly been knocked over by a tram but u can guarentee a sprint around town with a angry bus driver tooting a horn at ya...less speed and more safety measure need to be taken in such a busy town..
tramster (11/12/2007 at 18:50)
tram driver at scene, manchester (11/12/2007 at 19:05)
Now having read mostly supportive comments on here I am compelled to reply to the usual anti-metrolink comments...... i am sick to the back teeth of you people who seem to know how to drive a tram yet Ive never seen you around the depot!! There are several KEY witnesses including passengers on the bus and CCTV from the station covering the box junction that suggest that the bus driver ran a red light, I have heard that the cctv footage shows the lights to been on red for at least 12 seconds before the tram emerged!! but what do we know what do the witnesses know the anti - tram people have spoken and their word is law!!
We tram drivers always depart picc station with extreme caution as we are fully aware of the the red light runners, my colleague was unfortunate on this occassion, so comments like " how can a bus and tram hit each other? there both big enough to be seen" etc are uncalled for when trams depart picc station we cannot see anything approaching left or right until the cab is at the tunnel mouth!! if you are such perfect, safe drivers feel free to apply when we next recruit drivers and come show me how to drive after 6 years service!
Caped Crusader, Gotham City (11/12/2007 at 21:00)
I challenge the MEN to put a reporter at traffic-light controlled junctions used by a lot of buses (try the Cross St/John Dalton St one for starters) and see just how many go through red lights. It's an absolute scandal and regularly puts passengers' (and other road users) lives at risk.
rammylad, ramsbottom (11/12/2007 at 21:04)
I am only surprised there have not been more with the way bus drivers jump red lights. I just pray I do not witness the day they actually kill a child, unfortunatly the way they drive it will happen and we all know it. If only we could do something about it. If only the council and police would clamp down on them the way they clamp down on a Motorway driver doing 80mph.
With that said competing for the trophy of jumping red lights are the 'manchester incident unit' who jumped the lights outside Portland Tower today.
derick (12/12/2007 at 01:33)
the world's gone mad (12/12/2007 at 09:53)
I catch both bus and tram daily and feel safe doing so. You could probably count on one hand the number of collisions between buses and trams in the city centre, shame the same can't be said about accidents involving oblivious pedestrians or private vehicles.