Most of you know this blog’s unofficial mission is to never miss a chance at taking a shot at the City of Regina whenever we have the chance (when I was toilet training Mark, I used to get him to say when flushing the toilet, “See you in Regina”) but this is too easy.
13 of Regina’s buses were deemed unsafe by SGI this week.
"We know we have fleet challenges," said Onodera, noting that most of the issues SGI identified were with buses from groups purchased in 1990 and 1992 — those vehicles have now reached the ends of the expected lifespans, he said.
Both older buses that have been refurbished and used buses the city recently acquired are in better condition.
It’s long been known that the 1990 and 1992 buses — of which there are 27 in total among the city’s total fleet of 105 — will need work, and the department has a plan in place, Onodera said. The city has been buying inexpensive used buses with life left in them, to replace those older ones. The department doesn’t plan to refurbish those buses from the early 1990s due to significant costs, for which funds could be better allocated elsewhere, Onodera continued. The SGI audit "accelerated" the timing, he said, noting the inspections are being looked at as positive because they call attention to the need for resources to maintain and replace assets.
"The situation’s under control," he remarked. "Nothing is a surprise to us."
So does that mean that the City of Regina knew that they had buses that were considered unsafe to drive and they just kept driving them? They didn’t take action until there was a SGI audit? I would love to see the details on what was wrong.
Probably the most likely defect is leaks in the air brake system. Air brakes are fairly fragile, and the complex system of valves, hoses and compressors takes a beating from vibration, dirt, heat and cold weather. Often times, the compressors and feed pipes get leaks, which means that it takes a long time for the system to build up pressure. It is not necessarily unsafe, since the reserve tank holds plenty of air, but a bus like that generally requires an operator that is both experienced, and familiar with that bus to run it. A rookie may just jump in and go, not realizing he has marginal brakes. And a long downtown run, with lots of stops would deplete the air quickly; again posing a safety risk. A rookie may not be able to juggle all the constraints of downtown, and also manage limited air.
All the hoses and valves directly connected to the brakes have to be leak-free; otherwise the bus can’t be used. But anything upstream from the final valve can leak like a sieve, and, in theory, still work.
Mike-Jordan,
My first guess would be brakes or steering as well. It should be noted on the Air Brakes system that if the system loses air pressure the brakes depress and apply. So, in theory, if a bus was being operated and lost air pressure the bus would stop where it is.
I’m also not sure what an SGI audit looks at, but the issues could also stem from failing to follow up on other out of service issues, such as lights, cracked windshields, tire tread depth, etc… easily fixed items.
Nelson
Jordon — my apologies for misspelling your name….