The man drove as close to the edge of the road as he could to avoid colliding with the bus.
It was just before 7am, and the man had just finished a gym session. He was driving from Boliden to his workplace in Skellefteå when he spotted a bus further ahead on Route 95. The bus, traveling in the opposite direction, was overtaking several cars.
– I saw from a long distance that the driver was taking a risk and might not make it, so I started to ease off the gas and slow down, said the motorist, who wishes to remain anonymous. As he got closer, he still had to veer to the right to avoid a collision. He described driving as close to the edge of the road as possible without leaving the asphalt.
– If I hadn't driven near the ditch, the bus would have taken off my side mirror.
“If I hadn’t driven close to the ditch, the bus would have taken off my side mirror,” says the man.
It was a close call, but the driver said he wasn’t scared — just angry.
The entire incident was captured on video, and the man has since reported it to the police.
Tomas Larsson, CEO of Boreal, the company responsible for the bus route, commented after viewing the footage:
– That is certainly not good overtaking. We've checked the data, but this particular incident we hadn't seen, so it comes a little out of the blue.
“It’s a huge mistake for a bus driver to drive like that and risk everyone’s lives on the bus,” says the man.
Larsson explained that while the company's real-time systems monitor events, they cannot capture all overtaking maneuvers. He added that no prior complaints had been filed regarding the bus driver's actions.
– It's valuable to have this footage. Safety is our top priority, and this incident highlights the need for stricter adherence to our safety guidelines.
Tomas Larsson is the CEO of Boreal.
Ellen Berg, HR manager at Boreal, emphasized the company's focus on safety and driver training.
– Safety always comes first and is more important than the timetable.
When asked about the company's response to the incident, Larsson stated:
– We have internal procedures and have already discussed measures with the driver involved. Now we have more information to work with, and we definitely appreciate that.
Ellen Berg is the HR manager at Boreal.
Who is Boreal?
Boreal Sweden offers a range of transportation services, including scheduled and chartered bus services, as well as school transportation. Headquartered in Skellefteå, Boreal Sweden is part of the Boreal Group, which operates in the fields of bus, tram, high-speed passenger ferries, and car ferries.
Boreal Sweden currently operates in Skellefteå, Norsjö, Malå, Lycksele, Bjurholm, Vilhelmina, Sorsele, and Storuman, with approximately 90 employees across these locations.