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Quintana Roo’s Main Bus Service Suffers Yet Another Disaster This Year
An ADO bus service from Cancun to Merida was incinerated this week after a freak accident sent the vehicle up in flames. No passengers were hurt in the ordeal.
The first-class service from Cancun to Merida was functioning as normal when it suffered a tire failure at the back of the bus. The bus continued down the toll road for a further two kilometers as the tire wore completely away.
With the tire completely gone, friction between the bus and the road spiked a small fire. The bus driver was unable to see it at first, but as soon as smoke was visible he pulled the bus over and instructed the passengers to vacate the vehicle.
Thankfully, all passengers were able to escape the bus and even grab most of their belongings as the fire rose. Once everyone was off, however, the bus became engulfed in flames. By the time the emergency services arrived, the smoldering steel frame of the bus was all that remained. The bus was a total loss, but ADO stated their relief that no one was hurt.
Unfortunately for the bus provider, it’s not the first problem they have had this year. Earlier in 2022, a tragic accident on the same highway was catastrophic for those on board. The February crash saw three killed including two French tourists who were traveling with their eight-year-old child. The other deceased in this case was a German tourist.
The child survived in this case but was left parentless after the high-speed collision with a dump truck. Much like the most recent incident, the bus was full with as many as forty passengers. More than 20 of those on board were treated for injuries, many life-threatening.
Just weeks later, another crash occurred on the same highway yet again. This time, the night service struck a cargo truck, severally injuring several people on board including the driver of the truck. Thankfully, no fatalities were reported in this incident.
ADO continues to be the largest service provider for those traveling in Quintana Roo. The state continues to battle with a reputation for poor safety infrastructure, and for one company to have so many problems in such a short period of time may be troubling for many visiting the area.
Whether ADO is at fault for any of the accidents is unclear, but it will do little to quell the concerns of potential customers.
Regardless, ADO will have a lot of work to do in preparation for the arrival of the Maya Train next year. Currently, buses and private tours are the only way for most tourists to visit some of Quintana Roo and Yucatan’s cultural sites like the array of Mayan ruins dotting the region.
But the train will change that drastically. The huge train line is set to connect the two states with ease, allowing those in Cancun, Tulum, and well beyond to visit hard-to-reach spots in the region without the need for a bus or tour.
Trains are markedly safer, more convenient, and much faster than the buses that currently scale the length of the coast, and competing may be tough for ADO, especially as problems like this arise on a regular basis.
Tourists intending to use the ADO bus service in the near future shouldn’t be too concerned. As the heavily dominant provider in the area, when accidents happen it is likely to involve them out of sheer statistical probability. The vast majority of services between Cancun and Merida run without problem.
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