After a bus of the electric school caught in Montreal this week, the union that represents the driver and thousands of others express concern and seeks answers.
“If it happened to my colleague on Tuesday, could I also spend today? So I have a work tool that is potentially dangerous, and [they’re] Do not give me an explanation, not me, or my union, “said Josée Dubé, vice president of the Conference (Feesp-CSN).
In the Fire of Montreal, five children aboard the Lion School bus and its driver were not damaged. A spokesman for the city’s fire service said the driver had just turned on the heating system and noticed that the smoke left the vents. He stopped and put the children to a safe place before he went up to the flames.
The incident occurred near the intersection of Jean-Talon Street West and Victoria Avenue in the neighborhood of Costa-Des-Neiges of the city, but it is not the first in the province.
Another Lion school bus caught fire in Ascot Corner, which., Last November. In that case, the director of the Intermunicipal Fire Service, Dany Robitaille, said that the fire began in the vehicle heating system. The driver was able to leave the bus on time, and there were no students on board.
A lions school bus also caught fire in Huntsville, Ontario, shortly after breaking in January. In that case, 70 students were safely evacuated.
Firefighters say that the fire that crossed a Lion Electric School bus in Montreal on September 9 was linked to the vehicle heating system. The bus operator inspected 200 buses in its fleet and has disabled the defrosting system. But a union that represents Quebec bus drivers is asking all buses to be inspected.
In the three fires, the bus batteries were not the cause, nor were they affected by the flames.
Since then, Montreal firefighters confirmed that Tuesday’s fire was also linked to the bus heating system, which is made by the Lion based in Quebec, which has been forged with financial struggles.
A Judge of the Superior Court of Quebec approved the sale of the vehicle manufacturer to a group of Quebec investors in May. The judge in that case The agreement said was the only option that ensures that the manufacturer with difficulties can continue to function.
More than 200 inspected buses
The school bus operator, first student, told CBC News that since then he has inspected more than 200 manufacturer’s buses and discovered that the defrosting system is the probable problem.
As immediate caution, the company has deactivated the defrosters by eliminating the switches, thus neutralizing the manufacturer’s problem, says the company in a statement.
This short -term solution allows these buses to remain safely in service while the company works in close collaboration with Transport Canada and the manufacturer in a permanent solution, he says.
The union requires that all lion buses be inspected. Parent groups are also worried.
“I get to the bottom of this immediately,” said Katherine Korakakis, director of the Association of the English Parents Committee of Quebec after Montreal’s fire.
“They think it is this: you have to be 100 percent, it’s this. I mean, this is not a small thing. And thank God, the fire happened where he did. Imagine that it happened on a road, and the bus was full of children. Imagine that nightmare scenario.”
Canada Transport is investigating
Lion rejected a CBC News interview request, but we asked a spokesman what steps they are taking with the rest of the lions fleet and if this thermal problem only affects one or more electric bus models.
In a statement, the spokesman did not answer that question, saying that only the precise cause of the fire is still unknown.
The Lion analysis, which is being carried out in collaboration with Transport Canada, is still ongoing. The company’s technical department is working in close collaboration with the operators, and the procedures for preventive inspection measures will be shared with them on Thursday, according to the spokesman, who works for Syrus, a consulting firm that manages relations with the media on behalf of Lion.
Transport Canada is aware of the recent incident that involves a bus of the Lionc Electric School and has launched an investigation under the motorized vehicle security law, according to Sau Sau Liu, spokesman for the federal agency.
“If Transport Canada identifies any public security concern derived from our research, Transport Canada will not hesitate to take action,” he said in an email.
Any school bus driver operating a Lionc vehicle that smells something burned or sees signs of smoke must stop the vehicle in a safe place, immediately evacuate the bus and, if safe, turn off high voltage feeds and 12 volts, Liu said.
“In general, school buses have an excellent security history in Canada and remain the safest means to transport children to and from school,” he said.
“For everyone’s safety, school boards, teachers and students are encouraged to be familiar with the location of bus fire exits and with fire escape procedures. In case of emergency, being prepared can save a valuable time and help guarantee safe evacuation.”
