London (Parliament Politic Magazine) – A lady has died after being struck by a bus outside Victoria Bus Station in central London. The pedestrian died momentarily after the rush-hour crash at 08:59 GMT while the bus driver – who a witness saw being cut from the vehicle – was carried to hospital. Photos on social media revealed a red double-decker bus colliding into a passenger shelter at Terminus Place.
“We are currently working to inform the next of kin,” the Metropolitan Police (Met) stated. A large piece of black tarp has been utilized to cordon off the area, with two buses after it that look as if they may have hit, says BBC London’s Thomas Magill at the location.
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London Mayor Sadiq Khan expressed the station had shut down “for the foreseeable future”. He named the crash an “awful tragedy,” adding that an inquiry was taking place. “Our thoughts and prayers are with this pedestrian who has been killed today,” Mr Khan stated.
A Met Police spokesperson conveyed the force was working with British Transport Police. “The bus station remains closed, but there are no other road closures in place,” the Met said. The force added that the railway station remained unaffected.
London Ambulance Service dispatched the air ambulance to the scene and said a third person was also treated by paramedics but had since been “assessed and discharged.”
According to Tom Edwards, BBC London transport correspondent, What occurred in this incident is now the subject of a police investigation. And while we don’t know what happened, we do know that Victoria is a very, very busy transport interchange, and fatalities have occurred there before. Thousands of passengers stream from the Tube and the trains into the outside bus station.
In August 2021, a commuter, Melissa Burr, died after being struck by a bus, and two others were wounded. This most delinquent fatality is affixed to raise queries again about Victoria Bus Station and how safe its design is for commuters.
Glynn Barton, Transport for London’s chief operating officer, declared it assisted the police investigation along with bus operator RATP.
“Our thoughts are with the family and friends of the person who was tragically killed following a collision with a bus in Victoria this morning. “This will have been a deeply distressing incident for everyone involved, and we have support available for those affected.” Operator RATP Dev Transit London demonstrated it was investigating the death.
A spokesman contended: “Emergency services are in attendance, and our teams will be working closely with the relevant authorities to decide the circumstances of the incident. “Our thoughts are with the family and friends of the pedestrian who has sadly passed away.”
Nickie Aiken, the Conservative MP for the Cities of London and Westminster, stated on social media: “[I am] very sorry and concerned that a pedestrian was killed at Victoria Bus Station earlier today. “And so soon after, works were undertaken to make the area safe following another awful death of a pedestrian in 2021.”
In November last year, the bus station at Terminus Place was closed for about six weeks for “essential works to improve pedestrian safety and accessibility.”
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The works comprised changing parts of the layout, altering road markings, and adding tactile paving.
Transport for London’s chief said it had set specific targets for safe travel in London and wanted to witness no deaths in, or by, a London bus by 2030. London Fire Brigade stated it had sent two fire engines from Lambeth fire station to the scene. Teams were still on site supporting the police, the unit added.