Tram and bus accident in Manchester: councilor demands investigation

A head-on collision between a tram and a double-decker bus must be thoroughly investigated, a senior councilor has said.

A Metrolink tram collided with a bus near Piccadilly Plaza in central Manchester at around 2.15pm BST on Friday.

The bus driver suffered serious but not life-changing injuries, while three bus passengers suffered minor injuries in the crash.

“We want a fully comprehensive investigation,” councilor Pat Karney, who is also spokesperson for the local authority in the city centre, told BBC Radio Manchester. “This is a very rare event and shocks everyone, and we want to make sure it doesn’t happen again.”

North West Ambulance Service said three of its crews and an air ambulance intensive care team treated four people at the scene.

A spokeswoman for Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service said firefighters used specialist cutting equipment to free one of the injured people from the bus.

The incident caused major disruption on Friday afternoon and evening.

Piccadilly Gardens, Market Street and Shudehill tram stops were closed, while the bus station was also closed.

Mr Karney, who has been a Manchester councilor since 1979, said: “The whole city center was brought to a standstill, so that’s why I’m calling for an investigation into what happened.”

He said any investigation would be overseen by transport authorities, with the involvement of the municipality.

Tram companies KeolisAmey Metrolink and bus company Stagecoach have also assisted investigators.

Incidents involving trams are investigated by the independent researcher Division of Railway Accident Investigation.

The BBC has approached RAIB for comment.