A video has surfaced on social media showing a taxi colliding with a Vancouver transit bus in the downtown area.
The video shows one of TransLink's 59-foot-long articulated buses making a left turn off Howe Street onto Davie Street when a white Surrey Metro Taxi crashes into its side.
TransLink spokesperson Tina Lovgreen tells V.I.A. the incident occurred on May 16 just before 5 p.m.
The back of the bus suffered cosmetic damage but no injuries were reported.
What happens when a Vancouver bus is involved in a collision?
A TransLink spokesperson told V.I.A. in a previous interview that collisions are dealt with on a "case-by-case basis depending on severity."
Bus operators contact Coast Mountain Bus Company (CMBC) dispatchers and inform them of what happened, and they are provided with the next steps. (CMBC is TransLink’s contract operator for bus transit services in Metro Vancouver.)
Bus operators are trained to check if anyone on the bus or the other vehicle(s) is injured in emergencies. Like other motor vehicle incidents, they exchange information with the other party, including the driver’s license number, bus number, and insurance information.
TransLink liaises with ICBC while the investigation is ongoing. As for passengers on board, they have no obligation to stay on the bus or on-site. However, they are encouraged to do so for a "proper assessment of the situation."
Depending on the severity of the crash, i.e. if the bus you're on board can't continue the journey, the next bus in line will pick up passengers. TransLink says that is generally faster than sending another bus from the depot.
If passengers want to seek legal counsel after being aboard a bus that was in an accident, TransLink has no policy prohibiting it. ICBC says "it’s the same as if someone is involved in a crash as a passenger of a vehicle." Anyone can submit a witness report or an injury claim. They also have a document that outlines what to do after a crash.
With files from Allie Turner
