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Bus hits bollards
March 19, 2009

THREE people were taken to hospital after a bus became the latest victim of Manchester's infamous rising bollards.

The Metro shuttle service was struck on St Mary's Gate at about 1.45pm.

Eye-witnesses said the vehicle approached the bollards, which then lowered, but as it drove towards them one came up again. It smashed through the bumper and flattened a tyre.

The injured passengers were taken to the Manchester Royal Infirmary suffering from minor injuries. One was wearing a neck brace.

Rising bollards still a hit
Mike Keegan

March 31, 2009

COUNCIL chiefs have defended Manchester's infamous rising bollards after a Metroshuttle bus became the latest vehicle to hit them.

Three people were taken to hospital after the accident on St Mary's Gate, near Marks and Spencer.

It was the latest in a number of incidents since the bollards were installed two-and-a-half years ago and a review of the system has been ordered.

Emergency vehicles and Metroshuttle buses are fitted with transmitters which lower the bollards as they approach.

Fire engine

But last December a £330,000 fire engine was taken off the road after it smashed into the bollards around the corner on Corporation Street.

The latest incident has brought more calls for the bollards to be removed - but town hall bosses have come out fighting.

They say every incident so far has been down to driver error and claim the bollards are operating as they should.

Coun Richard Cowell also revealed that although some had tried, nobody involved in a smash had been successful in suing.

He said: "No successful legal cases have been brought against the council.

Tailgating

"Previous accidents at this location have all involved vehicles failing to stop and tailgating the vehicle in front of them in an attempt to get through the bollards. This means that the bollards and their activation was not at fault."

Coun Cowell said the bus driver appeared to be at fault in the latest incident.

He said: "It appears that the Metroshuttle driver may have set off too soon and caught one of the bollards with his front bumper before it had fully lowered."

The restrictions were introduced after the area was identified as an accident black spot. Since then officials say there has been an 87 per cent reduction in collisions.

Probe into bollards

Six hurt as bus hits bollards

Bollards hit fire engine

http://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/ ... till_a_hit

Automatic bollards are being installed over Herts, and soon Beds, to close carparks at set times.
What if you do not make it back in time to leave ?
30 quid release fee !

Coun Cowell said the bus driver appeared to be at fault in the latest incident.

He said: "It appears that the Metroshuttle driver may have set off too soon and caught one of the bollards with his front bumper before it had fully lowered."

Automatic bollards are being installed over Herts, and soon Beds, to close carparks at set times.
What if you do not make it back in time to leave ?
30 quid release fee !

Coun Cowell better rethink that answer, there are too many independant witnesses that say the bollards lowered fully and then one of them decided to raise as the bus was going over them.

I'm quite surprised the CCTV footage hasn't surfaced yet, because this would prove beyond all doubt whether the driver was at fault or the bollards malfunctioned. Of course if it is the latter, then we know full well that the cameras would not have recorded it due to "unforeseen technical issues".

Bollards stop ambulance
Deborah Linton and James Webster

April 14, 2009

PARAMEDICS were forced to abandon their ambulance and answer a 999 call on foot after Manchester's controversial bollards blocked their way.

The crew was delayed by several minutes as they raced to the Arndale Centre to treat a woman who had collapsed in a tanning salon.

Shoppers watched in astonishment as the ambulance, which had sirens and blue lights flashing, was halted by the retractable bollards on Corporation Street.

A sensor on the ambulance should have triggered the bollards to automatically withdraw into the ground and allow access to the scene. The barriers have pranged a series of cars and buses - including a fire engine.

When the barriers didn't move, the vehicle was forced to turn around and approach the Arndale from the opposite direction.

But the bollards on Cross Street also refused to let it through and the crew had to leave the ambulance at the side of the road and run to the shopping centre carrying vital equipment. They raced to Tantastic Nails salon where they had been called to treat the 29-year-old woman who passed out shortly after telling staff she was feeling short of breath.

The crew had to carry her down the street before she could be put in the ambulance to be taken to Manchester Royal Infirmary for treatment. The woman is not thought to have suffered a life-threatening condition.

An onlooker said: "It was unbelievable. You could see that the ambulance was responding to an emergency but they couldn't get through the bollards.

Sensor

"One member of the ambulance crew got out and was waving something at a sensor and still nothing happened. They turned around and drove round from Corporation Street so they could approach from the other end of the road, on Cross Street.

"But the same thing happened there.

"The daft thing was that even when the ambulance was parked up, a bus came along and it passed through the bollards without any problem - so it was just the ambulance being stopped."

The two sets of bollards - along with a third set on nearby St Mary's Gate - control access to the heart of the city centre. A review of the bollards was ordered last month after six passengers, including a six-year-old girl, were taken to hospital when a bus crashed into one of the poles on St Mary's Gate.

City centre councillor Elaine Boyes said: "It's absolutely dreadful. In theory I think they're a good idea but if they're not working appropriately we have to get rid of them.

"There's going to be a death eventually, either from a crash or because emergency vehicles can't get to an accident or fire, and who will be to blame - the council? We've been fortunate none of the injuries have been serious so far."

A North West Ambulance Service spokesman confirmed an ambulance was called to the scene at 2.45pm yesterday.

He said: "The bollards were broken and the ambulance couldn't get through so they went by foot. An ambulance service response vehicle was also sent and was able to get to the scene first."

Motorist struck bollrds in St Mary's Gate
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Bollards strike again
Deborah Linton

April 21, 2009

ANOTHER motorist has had an expensive brush with the bollards.

This time a driver found the front of his car wrecked after the bollards on St Mary's Gate began to rise as he tried to pass.

A witness said that the motorist had been following a bus to pass through the restricted access road and had to be helped by traffic wardens to push his car off the bollards. The incident comes days after paramedics were forced to answer an emergency call on foot because the bollards on nearby Corporation Street would not retract to let the ambulance through.

The vehicle had to wait while crew treated a woman who had passed out in an Arndale centre tanning salon.

They carried her back to the ambulance so she could be taken to hospital. The bollards are currently under review after concerns were raised over their operation.

A number of system failures have led to several buses and a fire engine colliding with them.

Kevin Gallagher, eyewitness to the latest incident - it happened at 11.25am on Thursday - said: "The car was coming towards Market Street from Deansgate when we heard the bang. It looks like he was following a small bus through the bollards then steam appeared to be coming from the car engine."

Chris Barber, Manchester's head of engineering services, said: "We will be examining CCTV footage to see why this driver has attempted to enter a pedestrian area during the time when traffic is prohibited, as is quite clearly signposted."

Bus drivers get bollard training
Exclusive: Mike Keegan

April 21, 2009

BUS drivers are to be retrained on how to go over Manchester's infamous rising bollards - amid claims they are `frightened to death' of them.

Metroshuttle drivers will be given lessons on how to pass over the rising poles.

Since they were installed two-and-a-half years ago a number of vehicles have come off second best after smashing into the telescopic bollards. As revealed in the M.E.N. last week, town hall bosses face a £6,000 insurance claim from the fire service after a £330,000 engine struck the bollards. Its driver was cleared of any blame by a fire service investigation.

Last month three people were taken to hospital after the Metroshuttle they were travelling on came off second best.

Only days ago ambulance crews had to leave their vehicle and race to an emergency in the Arndale after the poles failed to lower. Council chiefs have robustly defended the restrictions, which are designed to lower for emergency service vehicles, buses and post office vans.

They claim every incident so far has been down to driver error.

But one Metroshuttle driver, who did not wish to be named, slammed the bollards.

He said: "We all have our hearts in our mouths when we go over them because you don't know if you're going to be next. We all agree with the restrictions but it does seem to be an outdated system.To be honest we're frightened to death of them. Everybody makes mistakes. Is it right that your mistake could end up with you or one of your children in hospital with your car written off?"

Nigel Murphy, from Manchester council, said: "Even though there is nothing wrong with how the bollards operate we have been having discussions with First about what can be done to make it even clearer to drivers how they work."

A spokesman for transport company First said: : "All of our drivers receive comprehensive training including separate detailed information on the city centre bollard operation.

"This training is refreshed at frequent intervals

I don't understand why these are designed not to rise if directly obstructed. The idea is to form a retractable barrier not a vehicle lift. Does it really matter if one or two cars scrape in on the tail of buses.

I think it more likely that they are timed to rise as soon as possible after the primary operator is past...so as to NOT catch tailgaters...

My bold above.

Using a timer would be a most inappropriate form of control to use. What happens if a bus driver takes it slowly?

A sensor is the only reasonable possibility to avoid accidents.