– We drive past the site of the accident every day. So I think about it all the time, says Marit Engeset, who has been a bus driver for 20 years. Three years ago, she lost a colleague in an accident in which two lives were lost. The collision was particularly powerful, and both vehicles sustained extensive damage. – If the safety of the buses had been better, it is not certain that the consequences would have been so great, she says. Three days after the accident, it was known that two people had died. Photo: Cato Heldal Kristensen / news New safety requirements In October, the government introduced stricter safety requirements for buses. A new beam, positioned horizontally at the front, should provide increased safety for the driver. All new buses registered after this date must meet this requirement. The requirement has been fought for for several years and is considered a step forward for better bus safety. But for many it is not good enough. – It is in no way safe enough, the way it is now, says Johan Birkelund. He drives a bus in Førde, and between Førde and Bergen, and has done so for 20 years. Since 2010, ten bus drivers have died in traffic accidents, according to the Norwegian Road Administration. But Birkelund is not afraid of dying himself. – If I had thought those thoughts, I think I should find something else to do. He believes that bus safety still receives too little attention. – The new beam has been a wish for a long time, and now they have finally achieved it. It shows how low a priority is given to bus safety for the drivers. Bus drivers have a greater chance of being injured in an accident than passengers, according to the Institute of Transport Economics. Photo: Ada Helen Ingebretsen / news No retroactive effect A bus has a lifetime of around 10 years, and because the requirement is not retroactive, it will take several years before all the buses have the new “beam”. Marit Engeset says that after the accident there has been a lot of talk about the safety of bus drivers. – The new measures will improve safety, but it will not affect us yet. Marit Engeset is happy about the demand on behalf of the younger drivers who will come after her. Photo: Cato Heldal Kristensen / news Stricter than the rest of Europe The new requirement means that the regulations in Norway are stricter than in the rest of Europe. Transport Minister Jon-Ivar Nygård says that a joint set of regulations would have been the best. – We have commissioned the National Road Administration to work for better regulations in Europe and to assess better national requirements, he says. The minister reckons that it will take a year before more restrictions are introduced. In order to introduce more requirements, the Swedish Road Administration must carry out several investigations, explains Asbjørn Steinar Hagerupsen, who is chief engineer at the Swedish Road Administration. – We also have to look at the overall assessment, for example how it can affect oncoming vehicles. Transport Minister Jon-Ivar Nygård says that collision safety has been an important issue for the government. Photo: Christine Breivik Øen
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This “beam” will make drivers safer – news Vestland
