Mega Bus Crash Kills Four

Earlier this year I travelled with the Training Officer of a professional fire department to the facilities of a coach line that operates the double decker "megabus". We spent a couple of hours learning about these buses, their safety features, and looking at the added complexities for emergency services in responding to a collision involving one of these buses.

The most obvious difference is that a standard bus will carry 50-54 passengers, while the mega bus has a capacity of 84 passengers. The lower deck is lower than the seating in a traditional coach, as there is not any luggage storage below the seating. The second level is accessed through two (one forward and one mid-frame) steep stairways similar to a mini spiral staircase creating extrication complications.

While I'm only aware of one Canadian carrier using these buses, running between Toronto, Montreal and New York City, the increased use of these buses will no doubt grow as more passengers can be carried for approximately the same operational costs.

Emergency services need to become familiar with the challenges and the potential for larger numbers of casualties involved in bus crashes.
On September 11, 2010 a megabus being driven into a low bridge killed 4 passengers and injured two dozen others in New York state.
The attached news article (link), references two other megabus crashes in New York state the last 12 months.

http://www.thestar.com/news/gta/article/859778--canadians-safe-after-n-y-bus-crash?bn=1