Festival In George Square Not Considered Before Bin Lorry Crash

No revised route risk assessment for bin lorries was done to take into account a festive fair in a square where a bin lorry went out of control in Glasgow, an inquiry has heard.

Six people were killed when the council bin lorry went out of control in QueenStreet on December 22 last year and careered along the road before hitting a building in George Square.

Erin McQuade, 18, and her grandparents Jack Sweeney, 68, and Lorraine Sweeney, 69, from Dumbarton, West Dunbartonshire, were struck and killed by the lorry.

Stephenie Tait, 29, and Jacqueline Morton, 51, both from Glasgow, and Gillian Ewing, 52, from Edinburgh, also died.

A fatal accident inquiry at Glasgow Sheriff Court heard that the bin lorry route had not been reassessed to take into account the festive fair in the square.

Mark Stewart QC, representing the families of Mr and Mrs Sweeney and Ms McQuade, was cross-examining Douglas Gellan, waste manager at Glasgow City Council cleansing services.

He asked: In relation to George Square, no revised route risk assessment was done by your department to take into account that festival in December last year?''

Mr Gellan replied: Not for more people being in George Square at that time.

We don't do route risk assessments to take account of more people in George Square.''

He said: With regards to the festival itself, there was not a route risk assessment.''