Quebec coroner urges mandatory breaks for Montreal bus drivers after fatal accident

A Quebec coroner's report says Montreal bus drivers need mandatory breaks, and it recommends the transit authority put the measure in place to help avoid collisions.

This follows the death of a pedestrian last spring who was struck by a city bus.

The coroner, Dr. Edgard Nassif, explains that 65-year-old Mohan Chandran was hit by the bus while in the crosswalk at Edouard-Laurin and Décarie boulevards on March 4.

The bus, operated by the Société de transport de Montréal (STM), was heading south on Décarie and it turned onto Edouard-Laurin. That's when it collided with the pedestrian.

Nassif's report says the driver did not see Chandran, and did not stop completely when he should have.

The driver continued to roll a few metres without braking despite the noise of impact and the side mirror folding toward the window.

Montreal police declared Chandran dead at the scene, being faced with a "case of obvious death," the report says.

The coroner noted contributing factors to the collision, such as defective street lights on the northwest corner. The report also says the pedestrian, who was intoxicated by alcohol, was wearing dark clothing and failed to react to the approaching bus.

An STM investigator found blind spots on the bus also played a role, as did the driver's failure to follow certain protocols when making such a turn.

Report blames human error

Ultimately, the coroner's report lists human error as the principal cause of the collision.

The driver told investigators that he had been working seven-and-a-half-hour shifts with no scheduled breaks.

He said he is supposed to average one hour of break time per shift, but he could only take it in increments if he was ahead of schedule on his routes. He said that many colleagues didn't even have time to use the bathroom.

But on March 4, he did have breaks. He took one 20-minute break to snack, and another to 30-minute break to eat a sandwich.

Regardless, the coroner recommends the STM give drivers mandatory breaks to help them be more vigilant and reactive.

The coroner also recommends the City of Montreal maintain a functional lighting system at the intersection in order to provide better visibility. And the report recommends Piétons Québec remind pedestrians to ensure their own safety when crossing intersections.

STM spokesperson Amélie Régis said in an email that the public transit agency has "questions about the report regarding the connection between the circumstances of the event and the recommendation."

Beyond that, she said the STM will not comment further.

Frédéric Therrien, president of the bus drivers' union, said drivers aren't getting enough a breaks.

"On paper, we have a travel time and break time on our routes, but they've cut our travel time by so much that we never get these breaks," he said.

He said if a driver stops to use a restroom, they will find themselves running late on their route.

The union is currently negotiating for improved working conditions, he said, but as it is, "imagine driving a car for seven-and-a-half hours, never stopping. It's becoming impossible."

"We are not machines," he said.