Driver left bus full of passengers on train tracks in Hungary

A bus driver left his vehicle which was packed with people when stopping at a train crossing in the town of Kecskemét. He was later fired for this action and a police investigation also started against him.

Luckily, the incident did not have a tragic end, neither the passengers of the train, nor those of the bus were hurt. No damage occurred to the vehicles either, BAON reports.

What happened?

On 26 April, Wednesday morning, the bus was crossing the train tracks at Izsák Street. However, as the vehicle was making the crossing, the driver noticed a traffic cone which didn’t let the bus go on. He then proceeded to exit the vehicle, to remove said cone, when the unexpected happened. While the bus was standing on the tracks, the railway crossing barriers closed, trapping it in the middle.

Having realised his mistake, the driver quickly opened the doors of the vehicle and let the passengers exit in safety. Luckily, the train stopped in time and tragedy was averted. The bus driver then left the tracks when the barriers opened again, picked up the passengers and continued his route.

Who is at fault?

On the street where the incident occurred, the road is under construction. For this reason, traffic cones and signs are being put down in different places as the works proceed. However, despite several reports, these objects are often placed in a fashion that they don’t permit autobuses to cross safely. This is what happened in this case as well.

Regardless, the bus driver is at fault for not having noticed the road obstruction in due time. Instead of stopping next to the crossing to get out and remove it, he brought the bus onto the train tracks and then got out. This put both vehicles and their respective passengers at risk.

What’s next?

While no damage occurred, the bus driver still committed a grave mistake, and for this reason was fired from his job. The Kecskemét Police Precinct also started an investigation against the driver, possibly for negligence.

The bus’s operator company, INTER TAN-KER Zrt. said that they are cooperating with the police forces. They did not wish to give further information regarding the incident due to the ongoing procedure. They also apologised for the driver’s behavior, and for failing to provide the quality service that is expected from the company.

Source: BAON