Transport for London has been fined £2 million following the death of a woman who was hit by a double-decker bus at a pedestrian crossing, the Health and Safety Executive has said.
The local government body, which is overseen by Mayor of London Lord Sadiq Khan, was convicted at Westminster Magistrates’ Court on Friday of failing to ensure pedestrians and vehicles could circulate safely at Walthamstow bus station in north-east London, reports ITV.
The prosecution of TfL, brought on by HSE, came after the death in December 2023 of 74-year-old retired nurse Grace Mecaley, who was fatally injured when she was struck by a route 212 double decker bus at the station while using an authorised pedestrian crossing.
CCTV footage showed there had been five near misses in the two days before Mrs Mecaley was killed, and a similar collision had occurred in April 2022, according to HSE.
“The crossing was positioned at the apex of a bend, where buses turned into the station,” a spokesperson for HSE said after the conviction on Friday.
“Its position and the angle at which buses approached meant drivers could turn towards the crossing without having a clear view of its full length. The ‘red carpet’ crossing was intended to give pedestrians priority. However, the layout created ambiguity over right of way and increased the risk of a collision.”
According to HSE, TfL’s failure to manage the risks at the crossing persisted for years until 15 December 2023, when Mrs Mecaley was struck. She was walking home after shopping on Walthamstow High Street and, at around 5pm, began crossing the road from Rose Bank Villas. She was around two-thirds of the way across when a number 212 bus rounded the corner and struck her. She suffered fatal injuries and was later pronounced dead at the scene.
HSE’s investigation also found TfL had failed to adequately monitor bus drivers operating at the station, according to the public body.
(Picture: Mapillary)
