A BUS driver has been caught on camera overtaking a car pulling over for an emergency vehicle – and almost blocking the fire engine coming the other way.
The 999 crew are forced to slow to a crawl and only just manage to squeeze past the bus in Glasgow.
The First Bus driver, filmed on October 2, either ignores or fails to spot the dashcam car pulling over and the fire engine approaching with its sirens and lights on.
The dashcam driver can be heard muttering “Don’t be a p***k – there’s a f****** fire engine coming” as the bus overtakes.
The bus driver presses on, pulling around the car, and then squeezing in front before braking.
Speaking about the incident in Glassford Street, the dashcam driver, known only as Joe, said: “An approaching fire engine on blue lights. A very obvious pinch-point ahead.
“A car in front of you puts on hazards and pulls to the side, clearly making way for the fire engine. What do you do? You stop, right? Well, not if you drive for First and have a timetable to stick to.”
A spokesman for the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service said: “It is important for road users to be aware of the environment around them, and take appropriate, legal and safe action to ensure an emergency service vehicle’s path is clear so that our firefighters can quickly reach those in need of emergency assistance.”
“Our firefighters are trained to account for the unforeseen circumstances and actions of road users that can occur when responding to an emergency call.”
A spokesman for road safety campaign website SWD Media, who obtained the footage, said: “This clip shows how not paying attention can make life very difficult for emergency services.
“When you hear the siren you should be checking mirrors to see if the vehicle if coming your way, and once you see the blue lights you should pull over as early as possible.
“Drivers who fail to give way to emergency services in a timely manner can cause unnecessary delays, and this could mean the difference between life and death.”
A First Glasgow spokesman said: “Our driver has moved to give way to the fire engine at the earliest opportunity.
“The driver of the vehicle with the dash cam was clearly closer to the oncoming fire engine and was able to react sooner than a taxi and our bus behind their vehicle.
“This driver has put on hazard lights before coming to halt at a bus stop. The taxi and then our bus driver have overtaken this vehicle.
“There has been limited space for our driver to manoeuvre on seeing the fire engine as it moved into oncoming traffic but they managed to achieve this and there is no evidence that the fire engine was forced to stop.
“If any other evidence comes to light we would, of course, be happy to investigate further.”
