At least ten bus drivers have lost their lives in head-on accidents on Norwegian roads since 2011. Last Christmas, a driver died in a head-on collision between two buses in Fredrikstad. Today, there are no requirements for collision safety in the front of Norwegian buses. Stricter safety requirements are on the way, but both the Swedish Transport Association and the Trade Union have previously stated to news that they believe the proposed change is too bad. Together with Fellesforbundet, Norwegian Railways Association, NHO Transport and Spekter, they have now asked Transport Minister Jon Ivar Nygård (Ap) for an urgent meeting. – We want to discuss how to speed up the work and increase pressure for stricter international requirements, says managing director of NHO Transport Jon H. Stordrange to news. At the same time, the industry organizations are asking the minister to consider the introduction of further measures to improve drivers’ safety. – This topic is very important and of an urgent nature, says the letter the parties have sent to the Minister for Transport. Will be safer next year In 2017, a bus driver died in a collision between two buses near Nafstad in Ullensaker. The buses were traveling at less than 35 kilometers per hour when the collision occurred. After the accident, the National Accident Commission recommended in 2019 that the Norwegian authorities should increase the safety of bus drivers. In 2022, the Norwegian Public Roads Administration submitted a proposal for consultation to strengthen collision safety. The Road Administration’s proposal means that all new buses must be equipped with a steel beam in the middle of the front of the buses. Today’s requirements for collision safety for various vehicles are marked in green. Marked in yellow are voluntary measures that have been installed in some buses. Illustration: Norwegian Accident Investigation Board Proposed regulatory change from the Norwegian Road Administration Today there are no requirements for collision safety in the front of city buses. The Norwegian Public Roads Administration believes that all new buses in Norway should have collision protection that corresponds to the European R29 standard. In practice, the R29 standard means that the buses must be equipped with a steel beam in the middle of the front. The standard says nothing about safety in the area where the bus driver sits. If the Swedish Road Administration’s proposal is adopted, all new buses in Norway will have to meet the R29 requirement. It is estimated that the R29 requirement will lead to an additional cost of around NOK 30,000 per bus. The Swedish Road Administration has proposed that the stricter safety requirements should enter into force in June next year at the earliest. The regulatory change will not have retroactive effect. This means that there will be no requirements for collision safety in the front of buses that are put into use before the regulation comes into force. Thinks the proposal is good enough – It is almost impossible to design the vehicles in such a way that 100% safety is achieved in connection with any type of accident, writes chief engineer in the Norwegian Road Administration Asbjørn Hagerupsen in an e-mail to news. He points out that there are many factors that come into play in an accident. The driver’s attention, the speed and condition of the bus are among these. – With this, we are introducing a national requirement that has been tightened in relation to what the EU requires for buses today, writes Hagerupsen. The proposal is now for political consideration by the Ministry of Transport. – We think the proposal is good enough. There are many considerations that must be weighed, said Transport Minister Jon Ivar Nygård (Ap) to news earlier in January. Transport Minister Jon Ivar Nygård (Ap). Photo: Alf Simensen / NTB The industry demands this from the counties. In Norway, the county councils are responsible for the local public transport services. The six industry organizations have also sent them a joint letter. In the letter, a collective bus industry demands that the drivers’ safety is prioritized when the counties announce future tenders. They ask that all new buses be required to have the following safety measures: A steel beam in the middle of the front of the bus to improve safety in frontal collisions. A beam at the bottom of the entire front of the bus to prevent other vehicles from ending up under the bus. In addition, the industry organizations believe that extra emphasis should be placed on strengthening the corner in front of the driver’s seat when various tenders are assessed. – These are small but important steps in the right direction for safer buses, says union leader of the Professional Transport Association Jim Klungnes. Will have even stricter requirements Over 8,000 current and former bus drivers are members of the Facebook group Bussjåføren. After the fatal accident in Fredrikstad during Christmas, driver safety has been a much-discussed topic among members, says spokesperson Tore Halvorsen. The security upgrades must be financed through the state budget, believes Tore Halvorsen. He is the spokesperson for the Bussjåføren Facebook group. Photo: Tore Halvorsen He asks the authorities to set even stricter requirements for security. In addition to the safety requirement proposed by the Swedish Road Administration, and the measures required by industry organisations, the corner post to the left of the driver must also be reinforced, Halvorsen believes. If a bus collides on the side where the driver is sitting, there is a high risk that the driver will be seriously injured. – The post simply breaks. It is pushed backwards. The entire post is pushed in towards the driver’s seat, says Halvorsen. This is what one bus looked like after the head-on collision between two buses in Fredrikstad in space Christmas. The driver of the bus survived the accident, but suffered serious injuries. Photo: Stein Ove Korneliussen / news He also believes that the safety requirements should be given retroactive effect, so that all buses that drive on Norwegian roads today have their safety upgraded. – We have nobody to lose. Everyone is going home to their families after work, says Halvorsen.
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The bus industry demands action after another fatal accident – news Oslo og Viken – Local news, TV and radio
