MMT says accident bus had no brake problems; but police disagree
Management of the Metro Mass Transit (MMT) Limited has said the bus involved in the Kintampo accident that claimed 61 lives did not stop to check on a brake problem as had been reported.
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The Head of Buses and Operations at the Kumasi Terminal of MMT, Mr Robert Berko told Accra based Joy FM on Friday that one of the survivors who was on admission at the Kintampo Hospital has told him that on no occasion did the driver stop to check on the bus.
This however contradicts police preliminary investigations that said that the driver stopped to check on a brake fault.
Chief Superintendent Desmond Owusu Boampong, Kintampo Divisional Police Commander told Graphic Online on Friday that more than 10 survivors have told the police the driver stopped at Tano Obuasi near Tuobodom to check on a brake fault.
According to the police commander, at Tano Obuasi the driver solicited the assistance of a mechanic but could not tell whether it was a wayside mechanic or a certified mechanic from the MMT office.
Mr Boampong said the survivors said after the brakes were checked, the driver continued his journey and upon reaching the Kintampo rest stop, he tried to stop but the brakes failed. The bus went ahead and knocked down a cow and later collided with the truck load of tomatoes.
Listen to Mr Berko's interview on Joy FM here {mp3}mmt_accident{/mp3}
But speaking on Joy FM, Mr Berko who was dispatched by the company to Kintampo after the accident said prior to the bus’s departure from the Kumasi terminal, a pick check was done to determine the safety of the bus.
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“Before the bus leaves the terminal, especially for the long distance buses, they all go for pick check before they get on board and this particular bus went for the pick check and I am confirming it went for the pick check before getting to the terminal to load. There was no problem with the bus and that made us load the bus,” he said.
Mr Berko explained that if the driver developed any fault along the way he would have called any of the MMT offices along the Kumasi-Bolgatanga stretch to have it checked but no such call was received from the driver.
He said, “I don’t have any report of any fault that occurred on the bus. I don’t have any information whatsoever on it. We weren’t informed of any fault en route to Bolgatanga. The only thing we heard was the accident.”
On reports that the bus was overloaded, Mr Berko said records on the waybill indicates that at the time it left the terminal the bus was carrying 63 passengers including the driver.
But Chief Superintendent Boampong explained that although he could not conclude that the vehicle was overloaded, there was the probability that more than 63 passengers were on board.