Inquiry call into bollards crash

Mike Keegan

November 25, 2008

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RESCUE: The fire engine is taken away

AN investigation has been launched after a fire engine became the latest vehicle to hit Manchester's rising bollards.

The £330,000 appliance ended up lodged on the metal poles as it went to carry out safety checks in the city centre.

Repairs are expected to run into thousands - if the vehicle, which carries a hydraulic platform, can be fixed.

The accident has sparked calls for an `urgent review' into procedure.

The vehicle is one of six across the region and has been taken off the road while the full extent of the damage is examined. It is not expected to return for at least a number of weeks.

Crash

Council chiefs say a `thorough investigation' will be carried out into the incident, which happened on Corporation Street. Fire service officials say they too are carrying out an in-depth inquiry.

Another fire engine had successfully passed over the bollards moments before the crash yesterday.

One line of inquiry will be whether the driver of the platform tailgated the fire engine in front rather than following procedure and stopping to allow the bollards to rise again.

Investigators will also be looking at whether a flaw in the system is to blame. The bollards aren't in operation between 7pm and 11am. The incident happened at 11.02am.

Both fire engines, from Manchester Central station, are equipped with a credit card sized key attached to the windscreen which should be automatically scanned, lowering the bollards. A fire service spokesman said appliances based in and around the city centre have the passes.

Urgent

Manchester Central MP Tony Lloyd believes the system needs `an urgent review'.

He said: "We need to know that in case of a large scale emergency engines from further afield will be able to get through. There needs to be a proper protocol."

A spokesman for Manchester city council said as part of their review they would speaking to witnesses and the driver and looking at CCTV footage.

Witnesses reported a loud bang and then seeing transmission fluid spilling onto the road.

A recovery truck lifted the front end of the fire engine clear of the bollards. Firefighters then pushed the vehicle back towards the Printworks to enable it to be towed to the station.

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Barney Gumball (25/11/2008 at 07:43)

What a load of bollards!

Peter M, Mcr (25/11/2008 at 08:01)

Cars hitting the bollards were funny, but this is outright hilarious!

Colin Bell's Underpants (25/11/2008 at 08:25)

You reap what you sow!

PW, Manchester (25/11/2008 at 08:27)

A vindictive measure, which in the last couple of weeks has meant the authorities have been 'hoist with their own petard'. No one can poke themselves in the eye as effectively as local authorities.

You don't need an enquiry. Just look at the photograph. Not even the brick-throwing scum can put a £330k engine out of action so easily. As yet, we don't even know whether it's a write-off.

yoyomunchkin, Manchester (25/11/2008 at 08:53)

MP's should keep their mouth shut without knowing the facts. Anything for free publicity at a time when no one believes in the govt. Was the driver tailgating? will the M.E.N ever report the findings? No they won't they never have and never will and they are only out to sell the paper with a one sided storyline

Jay B, oldham (25/11/2008 at 08:58)

so many cars being damaged by these doesnt mean anything.
but then when a public service vehicle gets damaged by them it now provokes a call for an inquiry!

the main reason for the bollards is so that ira bomb 1996 wont happen again to the new ardale section at least.

Mandata, Manchester (25/11/2008 at 09:32)

Muppet level 10....

I bet we have to pay for the bollards to be repaired out of council tax money !

AlexisV (25/11/2008 at 09:40)

How can this system be allowed? It's one thing being fined/towed on the road - having your engine destroyed for making a mistake or the system failing is madness.

Peter M, Mcr (25/11/2008 at 09:59)

Jay B: the bollards don't protect the Shudehill side, they only operate between 11 am and 7 pm, shall I go on?

The Seeker, Eccles (25/11/2008 at 10:50)

Bollards, are a load of Bollards.

Jay B, oldham (25/11/2008 at 10:54)

yes i know! its only there to protect the original bomb zone!

Alf Murrey-Mint, Freezing at a Bus Stop (25/11/2008 at 11:17)

Manchester Central MP Tony Lloyd said:
"We need to know that in case of a large scale emergency engines from further afield will be able to get through. There needs to be a proper protocol."

As if the council would introduce anything which was not thought out to the "nth" decree. Heaven forfend that our C Charge depends on these same people.

Blackraven, Manchester (25/11/2008 at 11:36)

Re: Jay B, oldham's comment..
That's only partly true. The main reason was for a dedicated route for buses ad buses only. When I worked for an emergency service (the service shall remain nameless) I and many others voiced our opinions about the scheme. Those opinions fell on deaf ears. No doubt by now most if not all have seen the You Tube video where countless vehicles are wrecked due to the drivers tailgating buses in an attempt to get through..
Joking asside. This is no laughing matter. This should be a bus friendly system. However, when services are used on hire due to a shortage by the Manchester service providers, they don't have the censors that local services have. I have seen at least half a dozen being damaged due to this. I know of at least 10 Police vehicles responding to an emergency being damaged and one ambulance rapid response vehicle being smashed.
One day a life will be lost due to Manchester City Councils lack of action.
Let's hope that lessons will be learned from this..

stivh, Urmston (25/11/2008 at 13:26)

I understand the vehicle was on a Fact Finding Journey Through Manchester.

The facts now found - Manchester City Council please note, are that your Bollards are Rubbish and don't work. It would be cheaper to stick a muppet from Euro Parks in a Box either end and get them to press a button for you or alternativly just scrap the whole idea before you actually do seriously injure some one.

Waste of money, waste of time and the tax payer pays for it all yet again.

Jay B, oldham (25/11/2008 at 14:14)

i didnt know about any other emergency vehicles hitting these!
a friend of mine hit them once as he was not from these parts!
there still isnt enough warning signs around.

yet the older Black coloured ones further down off deansgate seem to be problem free.

daniel (25/11/2008 at 14:25)

It’s not hard.............. Red light -Vehicle approaches - Activates the sensor - Bollards lower - Green light - Vehicle passes - Red light - Bollards raise. Next vehicle approaches - Activates the sensor - Bollards lower - Green light etc, etc, etc ..........This happens thousands of times a day and the system is faultless. Then someone either tailgates or doesn’t wait for them to retract……bang, crash, oil spill, comedy photos.

“One line of inquiry will be whether the driver of the platform tailgated the fire engine in front rather than following procedure and stopping to allow the bollards to rise again.”

The Seeker, Eccles (25/11/2008 at 15:10)

Somebody needs a good bollarding over this.

rlfan, greater manchester (25/11/2008 at 16:17)

Which is the lie, safety checks or fact finding?. anyway the bollards are a menace to road users who dont know the way around town & some 999 response vehciles plus the enviroment is know suffering with the spillages . How about get rid of these bollards & have a stinger in place, then its a few tyres replaced instead of all this mess & exspense

self_loading_frieght, sale (25/11/2008 at 16:20)

if that is the case the second fire engine is being delayed etc etc etc and that, sir, is not safe, is it? To actually stop each fire engine on an emergency is just plain stupid. Still there is someone in Manchester City Council say its a good idea. Blah blah blah

self_loading_frieght, sale (25/11/2008 at 16:27)

Make the bollards of tough plastic that will be knocked off by the next vehicle instead of deliberately trying to trash the offenders vehicle. The "M" in Manchester must mean malice

chorlton drinker (25/11/2008 at 18:11)

Daniel, you're a numpty.
The bollards hadn't moved from when they knocked off the night before. One engine thru, no problems, next platform thru, bollards decide to say Good Morning Manchester. Flawed system.
Though of course they should make the driver work off the damage cost by fitting smoke alarms for the rest of his life......

Hand of Pierepoint, Hale (25/11/2008 at 19:06)

Some Council chiefs need a hole though the head to waken them up.

linzi herby, failsworth (25/11/2008 at 23:37)

its funny how only now there are cry's for an enquiery into these bollards even though they are at great risk to ANYONE. Especially in a work vehicle! There are Health and Safety Laws and to my common sence as well as my knowlague into these laws,those bolards in and around our great city ARE A Great RISK to ALL !!only now this incident has occurred(with the fire appliance) to the public's cost has an enquiery even been mentioned. Lets not forget the majority of the drivers (of these vehicles) are actually working when these incidents occur are actually working at the time. The law should be with them.

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