TWELVE people were injured when a tram and bus collided in Manchester city centre.
The crash happened incident took place at 7.45pm on Saturday evening at the junction of Mosley Street and Charlotte Street.
Roads around the scene had to be closed because the train came off its rails.
All three emergency services were called out, with the fire brigade sending three engines and a major recovery vehicle.
Police said 12 people were treated for minor injuries at the scene. No one was seriously hurt.
An investigation has now been launched into the accident.
The bus, a double-decker, was crossing Mosley Street when the collision occurred. The investigation is likely to include analysis of the tram's 'black box', which is able to pinpoint exactly how quickly it was travelling at the time of impact.
One passenger on the tram said: "We felt the collision but people were calm. There was no panic."
A spokesman for Greater Manchester Police said: "Police, fire and ambulance were all called to an incident in the city centre at 7.45pm.
"Twelve people were treated for minor injuries and inquiries are ongoing. Roads were closed while the tram was re-railed."
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Tram derailed by bus
November 02, 2008
Scene of the accident.
Showing comments 1 to 25 and replies | View All
Mad Angela, St George's, Hulme , (02/11/2008 at 16:15)
Today Bus and Tram Collide, then we are urged to use public Transport..
Ace for PM (A.K.A Ex BD 118 118), Manchester (02/11/2008 at 17:40)
Mad Angela, St George's, Hulme , (02/11/2008 at 17:53)
stuey, south manchester (02/11/2008 at 18:05)
but i do think there needs to be a crack down on the drivers of the bus`s especailly in the city center.i meen come on so far this year in the area`s of charlotte street,newyork street,mossley street and parker street bus station there has been a number of of severe accidents related to the bus`s look at the tram and bus last night and then look at the old lady killed at parker street a few months ago and the several incidents regarding the bus`s and bollards it aint anyones fault but the mad driving of the bus drivers because they`ve got to keep on scedule with there times.i work in the city and use the tram everyday and the trams are always struggling due to impaitient drivers blocking the roads and tracks and every time i cross at parker street i fear for my life as the bus drivers drive around the station with blaitent disregard for any member of public traveling at speeds too high for a highley populated area of pedestrians such as parker street and mossley street how many have to die or have serious injury`s before gmpt do something about it.we need speed camera`s setup in these area`s aimed at the bus`s or do they get away with these actions because their big rich company`s.
petan, openshaw (02/11/2008 at 19:37)
A Bus Driver (03/11/2008 at 08:38)
citycentre, manchester (03/11/2008 at 09:10)
you have an odd definition of disaster, in this case a collision with a few minor injuries
just shows how safe buses and trams are, then when these occasional accidents occur the only injuries sre minor
compare to private motorvehicle use and the regular deaths and serious injuries caused
Matt Hulme, Hulme (03/11/2008 at 13:12)
Picadilly bus station needs to be closed and resited somewhere on the outskirts.
I am also of the opinion that the standard of driving by bus drivers is very poor and downright dangerous in some cases. I have frequently observed buses exceeding the speed limits, running red lights - mind you pay peanuts and you get monkeys
citycentre, manchester (03/11/2008 at 16:22)
putting the bus station on the outskirts of town would be fine, if people wanted to visit the outskirts; as it is most people will want to travel to the city centre and if buses dont go there will go by car instead.
since it mostly serves the south of manchester the likely spot would have to be somewhere between oxford rd and princess parkway in the southern gateway development, leaving people with a walk (1 mile approx) to the shops
or beyond piccadilly railstation in the baring st/downing st area, again not exactly handy foe the shops, central workplaces
Tram Driver 1001 (03/11/2008 at 16:55)
trams block them yellow boxes because cars taxi's AND BUSSES ignore them... Our light turn to green and we can't move because the track is blocked, so we wait. Then the traffic lights turn green traffic moves and blocks the box yet again...But i agree with you people should wait for the facts to come out
tramster (03/11/2008 at 18:39)
we do go through red lights as you say because we use the row of white lights that are at the side of them,so the lights maybe showing red but our lights show that we can proceed and as regards the incident at piccadilly,the bus driver was found to be at fault (the trams otmr,video and witness statements proved that he went through a red light)
as with all buisness you have good and bad employees,the problem is that its always the small minority that make the rest take the blame as well.
jane killiner (03/11/2008 at 18:43)
firstly i cant agree more that manchester is not suitable for buses and piccadilly is a pathetic bus station.
But his comment on bus drivers being dangerous and monkeys driving for peanuts, well as i consider myself and plenty of other bus drivers i work with as SAFE! and his comments insulting.
Audenshaw Bob (03/11/2008 at 19:12)
Would you please shed some light on my earlier post?
The traffic is stopped as the pelican is on green. The bus that is also stopped decides to set off and turn and edge through pedestrians crossing on a green man.
Please explain why when travelling down Princes Parkway yesterday the lights on my direction change to green and a bus is going accross me towards Wilbraham Road a good ten seconds at least when her lights changed to red?
You may be a good driver but just watch the buses in town. It frightens me to death.
amanda nicholls (03/11/2008 at 19:13)
Audenshaw Bob (03/11/2008 at 19:17)
It's all well and good this introducing fines for people driving in but my niece lives one mile from her bus stop and rightly won't walk that at night and she can't pay the congestion fine so has shut her shop down and moved it to Marple. Three jobs lost in town, three new one's in Marple.
Growler (04/11/2008 at 09:41)
Buses create the most congestion on our roads and should be replaced by the metrolink which runs along every major road in Greater Manchester 24/7.
Polky (04/11/2008 at 09:44)
If a tram runs a red light, all the brakes come on, including the track brakes, which you would definitely know about... You may notice if you travel in the middle that the signal turn back to red after the drivers cab has passed to prevent another tram from following.
As for trams blocking yellow boxes, I suspect that this only happens when something impedes the progress of the tram (bus, car, person, etc.) and everyone should remember that the trams have priority over every other vehicle on the road.
You may also notice that the yellow boxes don’t cross the tram lines, as they are only there to prevent other road users from delaying the tram service.
Jay B, oldham (04/11/2008 at 14:19)
Bus or tram? which is better?
theres only one way to find out!
Fight!
citycentre, manchester (04/11/2008 at 15:43)
Henry Piggot-Smythe, Prestbury (04/11/2008 at 16:59)
lindoman, Hindley (04/11/2008 at 17:33)
Growler - I take it you are anti-bus then? Buses don't create congestion, it's the one-person-to-a-car lot that do. Where I live, the main road regularly has traffic jams along it - 90% of cars have no passengers. Buses provide a public service, the 17 is frequent because it is well used. Perhaps the fact that three came along was due to congestion, earlier late running, or one bus got stuck at a bus stop and started to run behind.
Oh, and the Metrolink doesn't run 24/7, and mainly operates on converted rail routes - please check your facts first.
Growler (04/11/2008 at 18:28)
I never stated that the metrolink runs 24/7 but it needs to. Buses are a pain in the backside and are not practical. Even though I get free bus travel I would never use the bus.
You can't move in the city centre for buses get rid of them I say !!!!
A Bus Driver (04/11/2008 at 22:12)
As for trams blocking yellow boxes, I suspect that this only happens when something impedes the progress of the tram (bus, car, person, etc.) and everyone should remember that the trams have priority over every other vehicle on the road.
You may also notice that the yellow boxes don’t cross the tram lines, as they are only there to prevent other road users from delaying the tram service.
Polky,
ABSOLUTE GARBISH FROM POLKY THERE.
Trams DO NOT have right of way in the city centre. Trams DO NOT have right of way anywhere except on segregated rail lines. Trams MUST observe the highway code when on roadway and have NO right to enter a yellow box if the exit is not clear. They DO NOT get stopped by the brakes if they go through red lights on the street sections. On the street sections there are NO red lights for the trams, just white lights which DO NOT turn to red after the tram has gone through. On rail lines they DO have red lights, but then why would anybody put a yellow box junction on a railway line?
To the trammie drivers, I wasn't having a go at you, just pointing out that bad driving is done by everyone and that I had seen the incidents I mentioned, so don't get all uppety as we are all in it together!
met driver, manchester (04/11/2008 at 22:50)
As for trams blocking yellow boxes, I suspect that this only happens when something impedes the progress of the tram (bus, car, person, etc.) and everyone should remember that the trams have priority over every other vehicle on the road.
You may also notice that the yellow boxes don’t cross the tram lines, as they are only there to prevent other road users from delaying the tram service.
Polky,"
Polky.... whilst I understand what you are trying to put across to less informed people, I must correct you on a few things too!, in the city centre we DON NOT run on RED and GREEN traffic signals, we obey our own signals which are a strip of white lights ( dots )next to normal road signals, we can have a "proceed" ( GO )signal even when normal road signals are showing red!. Yes our track brakes will apply if we pass a RED signal, but only out on segregated! not in the city centre!.
kendomat, Salford (05/11/2008 at 12:03)