An independent report looking at the suitability of using bendy buses on Manx roads has been delayed pending results of technical assessments.
One of the report’s authors, Brendan O’Friel, said it would focus on the evidence rather than be skewed by personal opinions or unfounded criticism of the controversial articulated vehicles.
He said no clear conclusions were emerging yet - and would not, until results from technical assessments being carried out by the Department of Infrastructure had been received. These are looking at whether any costly changes will have to be made to roads to allow the bendies to operate here.
Bus Vannin bosses say bendy buses, if introduced, will save £300,000 in staffing and fuel costs, plus £3m of capital costs saved in replacing older buses – and if they do not prove suitable, the savings will have to be found elsewhere.
A month-long trial was carried out earlier this year at a cost of £10,000.
But the exercise was dogged with series of embarrassing breakdowns. A replacement bus had to be shipped over after one bendy developed a fault on the first day of the trial. The same week a second one broke down north of Fairy Bridge, Santon. Then in the last week of the trial, there were two breakdowns in two days.
Results of the trial are being considered by an independent working group which includes TravelWatch chairman Mr O’Friel and representatives of the DoI and the Department of Education. Its report was expected last month.
But Mr O’Friel said the Department of Community, Culture and Leisure should now get the report by the end of the month, dependent on receipt of the DoI’s technical assessments. He said: ‘Quite a lot of the drafting has been done but it’s got to be trawled through to make sure we’ve got it right.
‘Until we get all the technical assessments there’s no clear emerging conclusion. It should be quite a straight forward conclusion - the balance of advantage will fall one way or another.’
He added: ‘To be honest, much of the criticism over bendy buses has been pretty unfounded. We’ve tried to get away from personal views and seek out the evidence.’
Mr O’Friel said the issue of breakdowns had been a red herring.
He said: ‘The vehicles had been standing around possibly without sufficient maintenance.
‘If bendy buses were to be bought a lot of work would be done to make sure they didn’t break down.
‘The failure of the bendy buses particularly on the Peel and Ramsey routes where they caused mayhem has inevitably skewed peoples’ perception of them.’
He said a ‘decent number’ of responses from the public opinion survey work would be included in the final report.
