FOI request detail

Bus Fire Suppression systems

Request ID: FOI-1347-1819
Date published: 11 September 2018

You asked

Dear Transport for London, 1. Please, can you verify if Bus Fire Suppression systems fitted to London Buses are a TfL requirement to Bus Operators? (This is an air pressured fire extinguisher to the engine and is deployed to the engine bay in the event of a bus fire - DVSA have confirmed this not a legal requirement to be working. Some buses have an audio announcement to the driver which sounds loud in cab "Fire system active, "Fire system pressure low" and "Fire system pressure not working") 2. Is there any procedures of use to the bus? 3. How many bus fires in the last 12 months? Please narrow by date and operator. 4a. Do all buses have fire suppression systems fitted? 4b. If so how many buses fitted with fire suppression system? 5. What is expected of the driver if the audio in bus warns the driver: Fire system pressure low Fire system pressure not working 6. What is expected of the bus company if the driver reports during service of the audio warning: Fire system pressure low Fire system pressure not working 7. What is expected of the bus company if the driver reports in first user check of the audio warning: "Fire system pressure low" "Fire system pressure not working"

We answered

TfL Ref: 1347-1819

Thank you for your request received by Transport for London (TfL) on 13 August 2018 asking for information about bus Fire Suppression Systems.

Your request has been considered in accordance with the requirements of the Freedom of Information Act and our information access policy. I can confirm that we hold the information you require. Your questions and our responses are as below:

1. Please, can you verify if Bus Fire Suppression systems fitted to London Buses are a TfL requirement to Bus Operators?

(This is an air pressured fire extinguisher to the engine and is deployed to the engine bay in the event of a bus fire - DVSA have confirmed this not a legal requirement to be working. Some buses have an audio announcement to the driver which sounds loud in cab "Fire system active, "Fire system pressure low" and "Fire system pressure not working")

Yes we can confirm that this is correct, but please note this is engine-bay fire-suppression which we mandate in our vehicle specifications, designed to tackle and inhibit the spread of fire in the engine area. The vehicle additionally has a fire extinguisher in the lower saloon of the vehicle.

2. Is there any procedures of use to the bus?

The engine bay system deploys automatically if it detects something. The extinguisher can be used if it is safe to do so. Training connected to use of the vehicle and its components is provided by the operators.

3. How many bus fires in the last 12 months? Please narrow by date and operator.

The number of fires are listed in the table below. These are followed up by the companies involved and any lessons learned are shared with our operators and the manufacturers. As far as TfL is aware, there were no injuries involved from any of the fires.

Year

Month

Operating Company

2017

October

Arriva London

2018

January

Arriva London

2018

February

Stagecoach

2018

February

Stagecoach

2018

February

Metroline

2018

March

Arriva London

2018

March

Go Ahead

2018

April

Stagecoach

2018

April

Stagecoach

2018

April

Stagecoach

2018

May

Metroline

2018

June

Metroline

2018

June

Stagecoach

2018

June

Arriva London

2018

July

RATP

2018

July

Go Ahead

2018

August

RATP

4a. Do all buses have fire suppression systems fitted? 

4b. If so how many buses fitted with fire suppression system?

All buses have fire suppression systems fitted, and we have required all buses in London to have them since the early 2000s.

5. What is expected of the driver if the audio in bus warns the driver:

Fire system pressure low

Fire system pressure not working

Should the audible announcement in the cab say ``fire system pressure low’’ this would need to be reported by the driver as a defect and the vehicle would not go out in service.  However, if such a warning came at a different point, such as when the bus was in the middle of its service cycle, we would expect the driver to contact their garage and seek assistance without delay, and follow the most appropriate process to take the bus out of use. Operators have spare vehicles in their fleets so are able to substitute a vehicle in service at the earliest opportunity. The driver would need to await instructions from their respective company about how best to do this at the time.

6. What is expected of the bus company if the driver reports during service of the audio warning:

Fire system pressure low

Fire system pressure not working

See above.

7. What is expected of the bus company if the driver reports in first user check of the audio warning:

"Fire system pressure low"

"Fire system pressure not working"

See above for situation where pressure might be low. If the vehicle appears to have a fire suppression system that is not working, we would not expect the vehicle to go into service and for a substitute to be introduced instead.

If this is not the information you are looking for, please do not hesitate to contact me.

Please see the attached information sheet for details of your right to appeal as well as information on copyright and what to do if you would like to re-use any of the information we have disclosed.

Yours sincerely

Sara Thomas

FOI Case Management Team

General Counsel

Transport for London

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