Volvo refutes Andhra Pradesh CID allegation on faulty bus design

BANGALORE: Volvo Buses today rejected the allegation by Andhra Pradesh Crime Investigation Department that faulty design of its buses was one of the major causes for the fire, which engulfed a luxury bus and claimed 45 lives on October 30 last year in Mahabubnagar district.

The reason for the accident was not due to a faulty design, a statement issued by the company said.

The company has submitted to Andhra Pradesh CID probingthe accident case, technical data that evidence Volvo's full compliance with all stipulated regulations, the company said in a release here.

The products were fully approved under the relevant regulations in India and Volvo buses not only meet, but in some cases also exceed, regulatory guidelines, it said.

The Andhra Pradesh police Crime Investigation Department(CID) had yesterday said that "faulty" design of Volvo buses is among the three major causes for the fire which engulfed aluxury bus and claimed 45 lives on October 30 last year, near Palem in Mahabubnagar district.

Stating that an investigation by the Volvo expert team had revealed that the bus was running at a speed of approximately 100 km/h and experienced a front corner impact collision with a concrete barrier.

Asserting that Volvo products were developed and built to minimise the consequences of accidents, the company said they have 12 years of experience in the Indian market. Five thousand Volvo buses were in operation in India and more than 30 000 drivers have been trained by Volvo.