Rupture Spurs Checks of Natural Gas Buses

A ruptured fuel tank underneath one of the MTA’s new compressed natural gas buses caused minor damage to the vehicle but prompted the inspection of the 150-vehicle fleet, authorities said.

The rupture occurred about 6:30 p.m. Wednesday while the bus was being refueled in one of the MTA’s facilities in the 11900 block of Branford Street, said Rick Jager, an MTA spokesman. Monetary damage has not been determined, he said.

“It didn’t seem like a big deal,” added Brian Humphrey, a spokesman for the Los Angeles Fire Department, adding that no fire was sparked.

By Thursday afternoon, an inspection of other natural gas buses had been completed to ensure they posed no danger, Jager said.

“We believe the buses are safe to ride,” he said. Nonetheless, he said the MTA has put together a panel from the bus and tank manufacturers, MTA equipment engineers and the Southern California Gas Co. to determine the cause of the rupture.

The MTA is in the middle of an effort to replace many of its old buses with the more environmentally friendly compressed natural gas models, Jager said. The city is expected to have 544 new models on the streets by 1999, according to the MTA.