After the Brašćine-Pulac local committee pointed out non-compliance with safety procedures, Autotrolej confirmed the error and revealed that the May accident was caused by human error.
Rijeka's public transport company Autotrolej has confirmed that a driver at the Line 4 turnaround in Brašćine violated safety procedures in early August, after the Brašćine-Pulac local committee brought this to their attention. At the same time, the results of an expert analysis of the bus that spontaneously moved and broke through a protective fence at the same turnaround in mid-May have been released for the first time. It was determined that the cause was not a technical malfunction, but human error.
Josip Rupčić, president of the Brašćine-Pulac local committee council, told Kanal Ri that residents are demanding a concrete solution, including a change to the bus route. An urgent meeting has also been requested with the City of Rijeka, as the owner of Autotrolej.
The Brašćine-Pulac local committee published photographs of the bus taken in the evening hours at the Line 4 turnaround on August 6, 2026. According to residents, the photos showed that the driver had not turned the wheels toward the sidewalk, had not placed a chock under the wheels, and was not in the vehicle.
Autotrolej confirmed these claims for Fiuman.hr. "We are aware of the publication by the Brašćine-Pulac local committee and have immediately responded to the driver who was operating the bus on Line 4, due to non-compliance with the prescribed procedure for securing the vehicle and leaving it," they stated. They added that "the driver did not act in accordance with the work instructions when leaving the vehicle, i.e., when stopping it at Brašćine."
Autotrolej provided a detailed explanation of the procedures that drivers must follow. The vehicle must be completely stopped in a safe place, and on an incline, the wheels must be turned toward the sidewalk or the safe side of the terrain. The parking brake must be engaged, and for automatic vehicles, the gear selector must be in the park position. The engine must be turned off, and the key removed from the ignition.
For the Line 4 turnaround, an additional strict rule applies: "On an incline or in the case of reduced braking efficiency or other safety risks, use chocks (wedges), which, it should be emphasized, is necessary and mandatory for the Line 4 turnaround," Autotrolej points out.
Following the May accident, Autotrolej intensified its oversight. "During June and July, the internal transport inspection conducted as many as 130 inspections of driving staff at the specific Line 4 turnaround, and, in addition to this violation from Friday, only one other instance of non-compliance with the prescribed instructions was found," they stated.
Disciplinary measures will be taken against both drivers. "That driver received disciplinary measures in accordance with our internal procedures, and the same disciplinary measures will be imposed on the driver in the photograph published by the Brašćine-Pulac local committee," Autotrolej confirmed. They also apologized to the residents: "We are extremely sorry for the distress caused to the residents of the mentioned local committee and the fear caused by the thoughtless action of our driver, but this is an exception and an act of individual willfulness, given the aforementioned numbers and the strict controls we conduct almost daily at this very turnaround."
Autotrolej also revealed to Fiuman.hr the conclusion of the expert analysis of the bus that spontaneously moved in mid-May 2026 on Drenovski put while parked and turned off, with the driver outside. The vehicle broke through a protective fence and a stone wall, ending up above a house. Fortunately, no one was injured.
"Following the police investigation and our internal analysis, i.e., the expert analysis of the bus, it was determined that the accident was caused by human error, specifically the driver's failure to properly secure the vehicle before leaving it," they stated. That driver was also disciplined.
