[embedyt] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TcN2Vy1HTnw[/embedyt]
An investigation has been launched after a Lion bus caught fire in Wokingham’s town centre today.
No one was injured in the blaze as passengers were evacuated safely.
An eyewitness told The Wokingham Paper: “It could have been a lot worse.
“It was a passerby who noticed flames coming out of the back of the bus and banged on the driver’s window to alert him.
“There were quite a few passengers on there.”
The bus involved is thought to be an ADL Enviro 400 hybrid type and is owned by Reading Buses which operates services that connect Wokingham town centre with neighbours Bracknell and Reading.
It is not yet known what caused the blaze, but this is not the first time that this type of bus has caught fire.
In 2011, the Newcastle Chronicle reported that a similar bus was involved in a similar incident, while a London bus caught fire in 2016. There is nothing to suggest that the incidents are linked.
A Reading Buses spokesperson told The Wokingham Paper: “We can confirm that one of our vehicles was involved in a fire in Wokingham town centre today. No customers nor the driver were injured and all were evacuated off the bus safely.
“The cause is as yet unknown and will be investigated. There is no heightened risk to any similar vehicle as we believe this to be a one-off incident.”
Shute End was closed and traffic is busy around the town centre as a result.
Keep an eye on live traffic
We have a special traffic map on our website. You can bookmark this page in your web browser to see more.