Gwinnett investigates bus break down

Lawrenceville, Ga., (Aug. 27, 2007) – Gwinnett Transit officials have investigated a bus break down that took place last week and are taking precautions to prevent future incidents. The bus driver and passengers on a GRTA MCI Diesel express bus that was traveling east on I-20 just before exit 66 noticed smoke in the interior of the bus at approximately 6 p.m. on Wednesday, Aug. 22. The driver activated the fire suppression system, navigated the bus to a safe area on the right side of the shoulder and evacuated the passengers. By 6:30 p.m. all of the evacuated passengers had been transferred to another bus on the same route, according to Phil Boyd, acting transit director. 

   An initial inspection of the bus by operations and maintenance management staff members who arrived on scene revealed no visible evidence of flames or fire. The bus was towed to the maintenance facility on Scenic Highway to undergo further investigation and any necessary repairs. The following day, the maintenance manager and a field technician from Detroit Diesel inspected the engine and its components and found no evidence of fire or damaged or leaking fluid lines. Additionally, the cooling system was intact and the turbocharger was in normal condition. 

   Activation of the fire suppression system prevents the engine from running until the suppression system is re-charged and re-set. A representative of Amerex Fire Suppression Systems performed that task on Friday, which allowed the technician to complete his diagnosis of the engine’s operating systems with the engine running. The investigation found no abnormalities or defects in the engine.

   Next, a Carrier Air Conditioning technician inspected the air conditioning system. He discovered a burned blower motor from the evaporator assembly. Replacement motors have been ordered and after the A/C system has been repaired, a lone driver will simulate an afternoon trip on Route 418 to ensure that all systems on the bus are operating as designed. Following a successful trial run, the bus will be placed in service again.

   “Because there was no obvious point of origin, we proceeded in a methodical manner to determine the cause of the smoke in the bus,” said Boyd. “Rider safety is our number one priority and we will do everything in our power to ensure our buses are in excellent condition.”

   Because it is impossible to predict the failure of this particular electrical component, Veolia Transportation has accelerated the annual air conditioning preventive maintenance inspections on this line of GRTA MCI buses to prevent another failure. “These actions are consistent with Veolia’s Transportation’s commitment to ensure that all Gwinnett County Transit buses are properly maintained and that our riders enjoy a stress-free commute,” said Boyd.