From
http://au.news.yahoo.com/thewest/a/-/wa/18318717/legal-action-on-gas-bus-fires/:
The State Government has launched extraordinary legal action
against Mercedes-Benz and two other companies, arguing Perth's
gas-powered buses were unsafe for passengers and people near
them.
The Supreme Court writ, lodged by the Public Transport Authority
this week after a series of fires on the buses, claims the OC 500
LE model buses failed to meet safety, design and longevity
requirements.
The PTA alleges manufacturers Mercedes and Volgren and supplier
Evobus were negligent and breached their duty of care in designing
and building buses that were not "reasonably safe to those
travelling upon or within the vicinity of those motor buses".
The writ, which has not yet been served, also claims Mercedes
breached its contract and that Mercedes and Evobus engaged in
"misleading and deceptive conduct".
There were three major fires on the OC500 LE buses in Perth
between December and March, taking the total to 14 in five
years.
No one was seriously hurt in the fires and the buses are still
on the road after the PTA developed a series of engine-bay
modifications, including an improved fire- suppression system.
The OC500 LE model, which is powered by compressed natural gas
and operates only in Perth and Sydney, was added to the Transperth
fleet in 2005. The buses now carry about 35 million passengers a
year.
PTA managing director Mark Burgess said negotiations were
continuing with Mercedes.
He said the writ was filed to safeguard against any possible
expiry of limitation periods for claims.
A Mercedes spokesman said the matters were being investigated
and it would be inappropriate to comment further.
Former transport minister Alannah MacTiernan said yesterday she
had been "locked in" to using Mercedes-Benz as the supplier for the
buses when Labor won government in 2001.
"The previous government had
entered into a contract with Mercedes-Benz to supply diesel-powered
buses," she said. "We were concerned about using diesel,
particularly in the inner-city, and wanted to use gas
instead.
"We were locked into the contract
but Mercedes-Benz told us they could deliver high-quality
gas-powered buses."
Earlier this year, MacTiernan
admitted that there were BETTER companies out there besides
Mercedes-Benz. Current contract signed by Barnett Coalition
Government is with Volvo
Group, but nothing beats a SCANIA (especially the
N113CRB).
Diesels have been used in
Singapore without issue. There is no reason why others can't do it
the way we have done.
