Bus Fire Raises Concerns Over Vehicle Maintenance

On the afternoon of Sunday, December 15, a bus operated by the National Transport Company (CNT) caught fire in Chemin-Grenier. The incident prompted an immediate response from local firefighters, who were alerted through emergency services.

Fire crews from the St-Aubin station arrived swiftly at the scene and quickly brought the blaze under control.

Fortunately, no one was inside the bus at the time of the incident, and there were no reported injuries.

Witnesses at the scene attempted to assist the firefighters as thick black smoke billowed from the burning vehicle.

The fire posed a risk of spreading to a nearby electrical pole and a building just meters from the bus.

Thankfully, the quick actions of the emergency services prevented any additional damage.

This incident has reignited discussions regarding the maintenance of Yu Tong buses, which were acquired from China by the previous government at a cost of Rs 465 million.

While no injuries occurred from this latest fire, Osman Mahomed, the new Minister of Transport, announced that a comprehensive investigation would be conducted to determine the cause of the fire.

Despite the CNT hiring new mechanics, under the prior administration, the maintenance of these buses was outsourced to private individuals.

Mahomed had previously raised concerns about potential inadequacies in the maintenance of these vehicles during a parliamentary session in November 2023.

As an opposition member at the time, he expressed worries about passenger safety but did not receive satisfactory answers from the former Minister of Transport, Alan Ganoo, or from former Speaker of the National Assembly, Sooroojdev Phokeer, who ultimately shut down the debate following Mahomed’s inquiries.

Source: Defi Media / Le Mauricien