Bollards hit fire engine

November 24, 2008

| Submit Comments | Comments (29) | Previous | Next

The fire engine after it was struck by the bollard

A FIRE engine became stuck on automated bollards in the city centre today.

It happened at about midday as the fire engine headed along Corporation Street near the Printworks and the Triangle shopping centre.

It became stuck on two of the metal bollards, bending them over and sending transmission fluid spilling out on to the road. A recovery truck was needed to lift the engine free.

The fire crew then pushed it back towards the Printworks to enable it to be towed back to the station for repair.

The engine, from Manchester Central Station, was on a familiarisation visit to city centre buildings.

It is thought to have been travelling at less than 25 mph at the time. Last month, the M.E.N. revealed how bus passengers were injured when their vehicle hit a rising traffic bollard in Manchester city centre.

The Metro Shuttle was driving over the lowered bollard in St Mary's Gate when the barrier suddenly rose up again and hit the front of the bus. The 11 passengers were thrown forward by the impact.

The rising bollards are designed to allow access to buses, taxis and other public vehicles by use of an automatic sensor which lowers the barrier when they approach.

You need Flash player 8+ and JavaScript enabled to view this video.

460

275

false

| Submit Comments | Comments (29) | Previous | Next

Showing comments 1 to 25 and replies | View All

Paul in Manchester, Manchester (24/11/2008 at 15:40)

The council aren't doing themselves any favours with this; they need to sort out the bollards asap. I think we all didn't care when casual motorists got caught, but what with a bus and now a fire engine... assuming it wasn't driver error, I think the council need to do something quick before public opinion turns around.

Volunteer Jim, Astley, Lancashire (24/11/2008 at 15:59)

It's time that these ridiculous bollards were removed and replaced with an ANPR-linked CCTV system. That way, abusers of the route can be hit where it hurts - in the wallet - without jeopardising legitimate users with this clearly unreliable bollard system.

Perhaps the manufacturers should be made to reimburse Manchester City Council some of the cost of this bollards system as it clearly unfit for purpose.

Ace Shakespeare , manchester (24/11/2008 at 16:18)

familiarisation visit?
Booody hell i hope this lot never has to go to a fire at my house?????????Surely the signs are their to stop this happening.Or are the signs to small.

PW, Manchester (24/11/2008 at 16:22)

Gotcha!!

More Council-inspired damage and chaos.

Don't worry about the cost of repairs to the fire engine or in having to restore the bollards. It will be spread quite thinly over the population, until the next time.

Buzz, Moston (24/11/2008 at 16:43)

Good job the fire engine wasn't responding to an emergency situation.
Get rid of these stupid bollards now - before someone is killed by them.
There are many other roads with restricted access that don't have them.

selfexiled (24/11/2008 at 17:07)

If any member of the public were to place any obstruction or device in the highway that would constitute a danger to the public they would be prosecuted. Here we have the local authority who employs safety officers with pay from the public purse not able to install a idiot proof device to control traffic flow.There have been to many of these occurencies now to call this a teething problem and it high time they were scrapped.

citycentre, manchester (24/11/2008 at 17:57)

Ace

the bollards are supposed to drop down and allow emergancy vehicles to pass

i have supported the use of these bollards in the past, but two incidents like this so close together indicates a problem of some type

maybe they should be suspended until it can be sorted out?

Mandata, Manchester (24/11/2008 at 18:07)

Muppet level 9 I think !

Kermit, gonzo & miss piggy at the Council need to have a word with themselves.

Utter Muppetry !

Dave (24/11/2008 at 18:09)

Ace Shakespeare - I'm guessing when they're not on call, City Centre fireman would be wise to say find their way around the Arndale or the Printworks so if they go up in flames they know where they're going.

On the bollards, I think now's the time to get rid of them. Great idea, but they just don't work!

Jonathan Curtis (24/11/2008 at 18:25)

Seriously, what the hell was this fire truck doing attempting to drive over these bollards? I assume the system is setup so buses only can get over it, not emergancy vehicles. If it isn't the case and the system is built so they can get over, blame the engineers, not the council.

The theory of implementation (by the council) is sound and there with good reason, but the design and testing of it is quite appaling.

Pippa, Manchester (24/11/2008 at 18:35)

Familiarisation ? Hellfire, hope they send the driver back to school to teach him how to read signs !!!!!

Marc (24/11/2008 at 18:56)

'Booody hell i hope this lot never has to go to a fire at my house?????????'

Ace, considering the amount of birch wood in your house I'd say you were a Grade A fire hazard!

Tameside Blue, Tameside (24/11/2008 at 18:59)

They'll probably put a speed camera there now

Well, they put them everywhere there's any kind of trouble.

Seems to solve all evils doesn't it ?

adders, Co.Cavan ex Manchester (24/11/2008 at 19:00)

How many more incidents like this does it need before these stupid bollards are removed?
What a load of bollards!

d1v1s1onby0, Wigan (24/11/2008 at 19:05)

I have a Road Safety idea.

Let’s get rid of airbags and replace them with a 12 inch Steel Spikes on the steering wheel – that way everyone is bound to drive more safely or get impaled.

Some people may thing my idea is stupid – but it makes as much sense for Road Safety as having rising bollards that impale vehicles for committing a relatively minor traffic offence.

Doug, Fallowfield (24/11/2008 at 19:15)

Good job it wasn't on it's way to a fire at the town hall although I do like irony.

Get rid of these before someoen dies.

Dave (24/11/2008 at 19:17)

Surely its the fire engine that hit the bollards and not the bollards hitting the fire engine!

Will the driver of the fire engine be charged by the Police for driving without due care and attention?

lasenza999 (24/11/2008 at 21:36)

familiarisation???!!! hmmm hilarious!! funny as the engines have been familiarising themselves at the christmas markets this week ooooopppsss !! strange isn't it, that this is the popular MAIN road that links the markets isn't it?!? well and truly caught out this time boys and girls! ha ha ( maybe the waterfairies were practising to get up on top of the x mas tree )!!! heee heee

Citizen_52, Whitefield (24/11/2008 at 21:45)

How many times has this happened with vehicles of any sort now? It seems to happen every few months.

They've agreed to get rid of the B of the Bang get rid of this catastrophe as well.

Booie 31, Torpoint Cornwall (24/11/2008 at 21:52)

The gravity of the siuation seems to have been missed by some posters. This vehicle is an aerial ladder. If there had been a fire in the City Centre where's the next ladder? Swinton? Rochdale? GM Fire and Rescue must only have a handfull of this specialist and expensive machines. This should not have happened lives could have been at risk. If you don't believe me. Some of you must have seen last year on the National News about a hotel fire in Newquay which cost 3 lives. The nearest available turntable ladder at the time was in Plymouth (a different fire service) an hours drive away. This is not funny.

umpire 2, Salford M7 4HT (25/11/2008 at 00:28)

Why cant they put one of those stupid Street Crime Warders on duty at the both places where the bollards are and see if any accidents happen then!
They get paid out of public money but they don't do nothing but walk around in 4/5, smoke at the back of Boots and pretend they are their for the people of Manchester.
What a waste of public money...

Growler (25/11/2008 at 08:28)

Nice to see the water fairies are hard at work again, you get lots of fires at the printworks especially at lunch time !!
______________________________________

Alex Donaldson (25/11/2008 at 19:01)

This was obviously a case of fire engine hits bollards (I saw the aftermath). This can be seen from the damage to the truck which starts at the very front having driven into raised bollards. The bollards are a good idea, people just shouldn't tailgate.

self_loading_frieght, sale (25/11/2008 at 22:04)

No. The Fire engine hit the bollards

midway, Ostsee (26/11/2008 at 11:13)

Yet another Council Bollards up!

()

Report

News