Exclusive: Mum calls for bus tragedy depot to close

4:41pm Wednesday 25th June 2008

Comments (2)   Have your say »

A woman who watched as her mother was crushed to death has called for the bus station where the incident took place to be closed.

Ismail Ahmed was jailed for four years at Kingston Crown Court on June 13 for causing death by dangerous driving when he hit three generations of the same family with his 209 bus while trying to park it at Mortlake bus station.

“We think the time has come for it to be shut down without further delay before another tragedy happens.”

The 43-year-old Somalian father of four lost control of the bus at around 9.40am on April 25 last year and hit a 65-year-old, killing her, her daughter and her two-year-old granddaughter, who lost a leg.

The 36-year-old woman involved in the collision, who like her mother and daughter cannot be named for legal reasons, said she felt ruined and useless after the crash and had to leave the area to get away from the site.

"Many families and neighbours we know and love walk past that bus depot in Mortlake every day," she added.

"We think the time has come for it to be shut down without further delay before another tragedy happens."

A spokeswoman from Transport for London (TfL), which runs London's bus network, said the bus station is currently closed while Thames Water carries out Victorian mains replacement work along Mortlake High Street.

"Following the tragic incident last April TfL carried out a full investigation," she added.

"As a result there have been a number of changes at the bus stand including extending the double yellow lines along North Worple Way meaning that bus drivers no longer have to negotiate around parked cars before entering the bus stand.

"More bollards have been installed between the road and the footpath, which has also been widened.

"There are also signs reminding pedestrians to keep to the footpaths.

"The bus schedule has also been amended to try and ensure that where possible no more than two buses are using the stand at once."