Bus fire ‘very rare’, says colleague notice

In a notice to its colleagues seen by B&CB, Go-Ahead London has said the fire on an electric bus in its Putney Bus Garage is ‘very rare’.

The notice outlines that a single-deck electric bus caught fire yesterday (25 January 2024) at the depot and that nobody was harmed and the fire was promptly extinguished.

Media reports focused on this being the third electric bus fire in London this month, including one in Wimbledon and one in North Woolwich.

The notice to colleagues emphasised the rarity of such an occurrence and the operator’s commitment to staff safety. It says Go-Ahead London, the vehicle manufacturer, TfL and other interested parties are committed to establishing the cause of the incident and learning from it. As a precautionary measure, the notice says a fleet check of approximately 380 electric buses is being carried out. The depot is now reverting to established operations.