Faulty brakes blamed for runaway bus in Glasgow

A runaway bus that careered down a packed city centre street may have suffered brake failure just hours before.

The runaway bus caused chaos after ploughing into traffic. Picture: SWNS

Two people were injured and pedestrians were forced to dive for cover as the number 60 First bus sped down Glasgow’s Renfield Street with nobody at the wheel, slamming into parked cars and other vehicles.

Sources claim the bus had only just been put back on the road after suffering a mechanical problem – an apparent failure with its brakes.

The investigation insider said: “All indications are that driver error is not to blame for what happened. The bus appears to have had an issue with its brakes on the morning of the crash.

“The investigation team now need to establish if the failure played a role in what happened later in the day.

“They will also seek to establish if any repair was carried out adequately and if the bus was fit to go back on the road.

“Thankfully nobody suffered life-changing injuries but it could have been an awful lot worse. Everyone will be looking to ensure that, if there are lessons to be learned, they are taken on board and all measures are taken to protect the public.”

Shocked witnesses told how they feared a Nice-style terrorist attack as the driverless bus rolled down one of Glasgow’s busiest streets.

Some believed a bomb had exploded as the double-decker slammed into other vehicles on a 110-yard journey of destruction that left two men in hospital.

Muhammad Sultan, 36, who runs a takeaway near where the bus came to a stop, said: “I was serving customers when I heard a big bang.

“People were scared. It was like a bomb blast.”

A number of people affected by the incident are understood to have consulted lawyers with a view to launching possible legal action. The bus that ran out of control is operated by First Glasgow.

A spokesman for the company confirmed that an “investigation is under way, which includes reviewing the vehicle’s engineering and safety records”.

He added: “We’re working closely with Police Scotland. However, it will take some time to establish all the facts. It is therefore too early at this stage to speculate on the cause of the incident.”

It is the latest in a series of transport accidents in Glasgow city centre.

In December 2014 six people died when Harry Clarke passed out at the wheel of a bin lorry.

Police Scotland said “inquiries are ongoing” regarding the Renfield Street bus crash.