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| Nova Bus problems, Large recall affecting Toronto & Montréal units (297206) | |||
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Nova Bus problems, Large recall affecting Toronto & Montréal units |
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Posted by Gold_12th on Thu Aug 28 01:27:24 2014 Nova Bus reiterates that safety is its top priority and provides reassurance to the public following a recall campaign targeting an alternator cable on certain Nova LFS vehicles.Safety is the top priority for Nova Bus, which is reassuring the public following a recall campaign targeting an alternator cable on certain Nova LFS vehicles. "The safety of public transit riders is paramount for Nova Bus, and the company is taking action by inspecting and replacing the alternator cable as a preventive measure," stated John Kardos, Vice President of Business Development. "Nova Bus quickly collects facts and takes appropriate action when a potential safety issue is reported. The company has a robust process to quickly identify and address safety-related defects to protect the public and owners of its vehicles. The process includes complete transparency with the appropriate authorities who are informed in accordance with applicable regulations", added Tim LaFon, Vice President of Regulatory Affairs for the Volvo Group in North America. Nova Bus was first made aware of the potential issue in late May 2014. An alternator cable terminal may have been damaged during installation. This prompted further investigation and ultimately led to the decision on June 19, 2014 to release a voluntary safety recall. The required documents were prepared, which included the date of notification to owners and repair of affected vehicles, and were submitted in accordance with the applicable regulations to the authorities on June 27, 2014. Nova Bus representatives are in constant contact with owner transit authorities. The company supports transit authorities in inspecting their 2010-2014 model year Nova LFS bus fleets. Instructions on how to inspect and repair affected vehicles are being released today. All costs will be borne by Nova Bus. Nova Bus considers the recall as a preventive measure to ensure the safety of riders who board our buses. Buses remain safe and have not been pulled from transit service. http://www.newswire.ca/en/story/1401768/nova-bus-replaces-alternator-cables-on-certain-nova-lfs-vehicles The Société de transport de Montréal says it has conducted spot checks on 865 buses that were part of a manufacturer’s recall, but mechanics found “no particular problems.” Nova Bus recently issued a recall on various LFS models that now make up a large portion of the STM’s fleet. One of the cables that connects to the alternator in these buses has been found to be defective, and may pose a fire risk. So far, the STM has not recorded any problems on moving buses, but smoke was reported coming from the engine on a bus parked in a garage. Nova Bus will assume all costs related to the recall. It has until Aug. 29 to inform the STM how it will fix the issue and replace the defective parts. “There is no security issue now that the problem is known,” said STM board chairman Philippe Schnobb. “We are taking all necessary steps to ensure that the problem does not affect customer service and we are monitoring the situation closely. There will be no issue of availability of buses, because the replacement part will be installed during routine maintenance of each bus.” It’s the second time this month that government-owned vehicles have been found to suffer from defects. Montreal’s city council is currently being asked to approve nearly $1 million in funding to repair 48 fire trucks with an unusual buildup of contaminants in their engines. A faulty air filter is being blamed for that problem, and the city will reportedly seek damages from the filter’s manufacturer. http://www.montrealgazette.com/buses+affected+Nova+recall/10137506/story.html A Canada-wide recall has led the TTC to inspect nearly 90 of its buses for faulty wiring. Quebec-based manufacturer Nova has said that wear and tear on an alternator cable may increase the risk of fire in some of its buses. As many as 1,500 buses across Canada are fitted with the part. The warning has prompted a transit service in the Gatineau region to take dozens of its vehicles out of service. Eighty-eight of the TTC’s articulated buses are affected by the recall. But, for the moment, transit service won’t need to pull any off the road, spokesman Brad Ross said. He called the recall "precautionary." The fire risk, he said, increases when the vehicles are at least a few years old. Toronto’s models, which run primarily on the 7 Bathurst and 29 Dufferin routes, went into service last December. “It’s something that has only been seen in the older bus fleets. But, nevertheless, we will [be] checking the fleet,” said Ross. “It is a very low risk,” he said later. The TTC hasn’t received the recall notice yet, but Ross said the transit commission will be working with Nova to inspect the condition of the cable in question. “They are going to be inspected for any wear on this particular cable If there is no wear on this particular cable, then it won’t require any repairs at all. “So we don’t anticipate any impact on service at this time.” http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/ttc-to-inspect-88-buses-after-part-recall-1.2743433 A Canada-wide manufacturer recall notice has prompted STO to pull dozens of buses off the roads because of a fire risk. Nova Bus said they’re issuing the recall because a faulty alternator cable in the engine of some buses may increase the risk of a fire. The recall affects 68 of 300 buses in Gatineau, but the STO said it will not affect passenger service. Nova Bus said they won’t need the buses returned to them, but can replace the part with an hour or two of work on-site. The recalled part could potentially affect 1,500 transit buses in Canada. Both Nova Bus and the STO said an engine fire in a Gatineau bus two weeks ago was not connected to the recall. The fire on Aug. 8 destroyed the STO bus's engine compartment. The bus was carrying passengers, but no one was injured. STO spokesperson Céline Gauthier said the STO called the manufacturer to let them know what happened, only to discover the recall, which had been issued more than a month earlier on July 2. An investigation into what caused the fire is ongoing, and there's nothing at this time to suggest the fire is related to the recalled part. Gauthier said STO will be asking questions about Nova's way of communicating recalls. "Of course it is a concern, and this will be part of further discussions with Nova Bus," she said. Nova's vice president of business affairs, John Kardos, said Nova is following all of the rules. He said that once the company posts a Notice of Defect with Transport Canada, which is viewable online, it has 60 days to determine a remedy and send a notification to owners. Kardos also said the situation did not require emergency action. http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/ottawa/68-sto-buses-recalled-due-to-risk-of-fire-1.2742147 Transport Canada says the company manufacturing buses subject to a recall should have told Gatineau’s STO and other transit agencies about it sooner than they did. Nova Bus is fixing faulty alternators in some 1,500 transit buses in Canada, 68 of them in Gatineau, because of a fire hazard. Gatineau’s transit agency said it found out about the recall after an unrelated engine fire on Aug. 8, more than a month after the recall was issued on July 2. Nova Bus said it has two months from the day it posts a “Notice of Defect” with Transport Canada to come up with a solution and let transit agencies know, plus the defect didn’t require emergency action. Transport Canada later said Nova Bus should have told the STO and other agencies right away, saying they'll look into the matter. Montreal's transit agency said it only learned about the recall after an incident there on July 28, while agencies in Toronto and Quebec City said they found out about it when reporters called them. Ottawa's OC Transpo does not use Nova Bus vehicles. The STO said earlier this week the recall won’t affect passenger service, as Nova Bus has said the problem can be fixed in an hour or two. The Toronto Transit Commission said they'll inspect 88 of their buses because of the recall, but aren't pulling any off the road. http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/ottawa/transport-canada-critical-of-nova-bus-recall-1.2743497 |
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