VILNIUS — A bus owned by the Vilnius’ municipal public transportation company started afire Monday morning at 8:30 a.m. near the Television Tower. No injuries were reported.
The fire, which occurred in the rear gas-powered engine of the vehicle, brought the bus to a stop but was put out by the driver using a fire extinguisher. Firefighters were not called.
Rimantas Markauskas, sales director of Vilnius Autobus, told Lithuanian Radio in an interview Monday after the fire that this was not the first incident that one of the 1970s-era Volvo or Mercedes-Benz buses lit up in flames — it happened once in 2006, twice in 2007 and three times in 2008. However, Markauskas said the company is not looking to purchase new buses given the current fiscal climate.