Neil Williams wrote:
On 20 May, 14:10, Adrian wrote:

I wonder how many double-decker buses have passed that tree without
hitting it?

Judging by the ones on the Kingsway, quite a few *do* hit them. It's
also quite uncomfortable as a passenger watching trees rush by only 6"
or so away.

The best solution for the Kingsway would, IMO, be bus lanes up the
middle and other traffic (with a height restriction, presumably) on
the left. Zebra crossings could be provided to access stops - this
kind of arrangement is very common in Germany, and works very well,
also having the benefit that buses don't bang over grids etc quite as
often.

Do the Germans have laws to shoot motorists passing stopped buses, or
signs saying it is not allowed? I think some places do.

--
Arthur Figgis Surrey, UK

In message , at 18:29:23 on
Tue, 20 May 2008, Zen83237 remarked:
As it hit a tree (when buses normally pass by unaffected), and killed a
pedestrian, perhaps the bus had mounted the pavement?

Considering the appalling standard of bus driving in London these days why
doesn't this surprise me in the least.

For reasons I won't bore you with, I walked past the site at lunchtime.
The most amazing thing is perhaps the number of policemen apparently
required to keep people/traffic away.

The road is wider than it looks in most of the news photos, and lined
with trees.

Picture 18 here is a good likeness:

http://news.sky.com/skynews/article/...316580,00.html

Trees are just coming into leaf at the moment, and it's possible a
branch was weighed down sufficiently to become a hazard. Two
medium-sized branches seem to have been broken off.

It seems that the pedestrian was been crushed in a rather freak way by a
broken-off branch. The top corner of the bus is very badly caved in, and
I don't think one of the standard "bull bars" that are fitted to some
buses there would have been adequate protection for those inside.
--
Roland Perry

On 20 May, 18:44, "Steve Dulieu"
wrote:
Which part of ...
Zebra crossings could be provided to access stops - this
kind of arrangement is very common in Germany, and works very well.

Yeah ok , I didn't read it properly. I'm not sure having a bus stopped
in the outer lane of a dual carraigeway with lots of passengers
milling around is the safest way of doing things. Just because its
done in germany doesn't mean its a good idea over here given the
different attitude of pedestrians crossing roads.

B2003

Adrian wrote:
"Richard J." gurgled happily, sounding
much like they were saying:

I wonder how many double-decker buses have passed that tree without
hitting it?

Since I suspect it is rather considerable, I think we can discount
the positioning of the tree itself - unless it moved recently.

Trees do move, in the sense that they grow, and sometimes they
gradually lean to one side. During this process the risk of a bus
hitting it also grows, so the fact that lots of buses passed it
previously without hitting it is not a reason to discount the
position of the tree as a factor.

How rapidly would it'd have to move in order to do that much damage
to a bus following a previously safe trajectory?

There are many trees in London which overhang the kerb, or which would hit a
bus driven very close to the kerb because of the camber of the road surface.
Normal downwards movement as the foliage grows in spring could be enough to
make contact with a bus driven unusually close to the kerb on a trajectory
which was previosly safe.

The amount of damage caused to the bus, and the fatal injuries suffered by
the unfortunate pedestrian, seem to have arisen from the offending branch
becoming caught up in the bus instead of being brushed aside, possibly
entangled in the protective rail in front of the upper deck window, which
one photo shows as broken.
--
Richard J.
(to email me, swap 'uk' and 'yon' in address)

Roland Perry wrote:
In message , at 18:29:23 on
Tue, 20 May 2008, Zen83237 remarked:
As it hit a tree (when buses normally pass by unaffected), and
killed a pedestrian, perhaps the bus had mounted the pavement?

Considering the appalling standard of bus driving in London these
days why doesn't this surprise me in the least.

For reasons I won't bore you with, I walked past the site at
lunchtime. The most amazing thing is perhaps the number of policemen
apparently required to keep people/traffic away.

The road is wider than it looks in most of the news photos, and lined
with trees.

Picture 18 here is a good likeness:

http://news.sky.com/skynews/article/...316580,00.html

Trees are just coming into leaf at the moment, and it's possible a
branch was weighed down sufficiently to become a hazard. Two
medium-sized branches seem to have been broken off.

It's notable that the damage to the bus looks worse at destination blind
level or just above than at the corner of the roof. Did you manage to see
the tree itself, which hasn't featured in any of the photos I've seen? If
so, did it appear to be overhanging the carriageway, especially where the
branches were torn off?
--
Richard J.
(to email me, swap 'uk' and 'yon' in address)

Arthur Figgis wrote:
Neil Williams wrote:
On 20 May, 14:10, Adrian wrote:

I wonder how many double-decker buses have passed that tree without
hitting it?

Judging by the ones on the Kingsway, quite a few *do* hit them. It's
also quite uncomfortable as a passenger watching trees rush by only
6" or so away.

The best solution for the Kingsway would, IMO, be bus lanes up the
middle and other traffic (with a height restriction, presumably) on
the left. Zebra crossings could be provided to access stops - this
kind of arrangement is very common in Germany, and works very well,
also having the benefit that buses don't bang over grids etc quite as
often.

Do the Germans have laws to shoot motorists passing stopped buses, or
signs saying it is not allowed? I think some places do.

He's talking about a triple carriageway. The central carriageway is two-way
for buses. The bus stops are on the reservations.

In message , at 22:17:01
on Tue, 20 May 2008, Richard J. remarked:
Picture 18 here is a good likeness:

http://news.sky.com/skynews/article/...316580,00.html

Trees are just coming into leaf at the moment, and it's possible a
branch was weighed down sufficiently to become a hazard. Two
medium-sized branches seem to have been broken off.

It's notable that the damage to the bus looks worse at destination blind
level or just above than at the corner of the roof. Did you manage to see
the tree itself, which hasn't featured in any of the photos I've seen? If
so, did it appear to be overhanging the carriageway, especially where the
branches were torn off?

You can see the tree clearly in picture 13, as well as the picture 18 I
mentioned before. There are many similar trees at intervals all along
the street. Several of the pictures, like number 11, show how trees
dominate the skyline along there.
--
Roland Perry

On May 21, 6:01 am, Roland Perry wrote:
You can see the tree clearly in picture 13, as well as the picture 18 I
mentioned before. There are many similar trees at intervals all along
the street. Several of the pictures, like number 11, show how trees
dominate the skyline along there.

According to lots of witnesses the tree apparently fell down in front
of the bus while it was driving along. Monumental bad luck.

B2003

Boltar wrote:
On May 21, 6:01 am, Roland Perry wrote:
You can see the tree clearly in picture 13, as well as the picture
18 I mentioned before. There are many similar trees at intervals all
along the street. Several of the pictures, like number 11, show how
trees dominate the skyline along there.

According to lots of witnesses the tree apparently fell down in front
of the bus while it was driving along. Monumental bad luck.

Trees don't fall in good weather. I suspect the branch got caught between
the bus and the tree-protection rail and the branch/tree was pulled over by
the bus. This may lead to all such rails being replaced by a solid
protruberence.

On May 21, 9:41 am, "John Rowland"
wrote:
Trees don't fall in good weather. I suspect the branch got caught between
the bus and the tree-protection rail and the branch/tree was pulled over by
the bus. This may lead to all such rails being replaced by a solid
protruberence.

If that had happened the bus would have already partially passed
underneath when it started pulling the branch down which then surely
would have fallen onto the roof , not clobbered the front?

B2003