Around 2am on October 9, a fire broke out at the Viale XI Agosto depot in Florence. 19 urban buses were involved, with 12 destroyed and 7 severely damaged. There were no people involved, and there were no injuries.
The fire affected only diesel-powered buses, with no electric buses involved; those vehicles are operational and parked at a different depot. Investigations to establish the cause are currently underway.
Damage to the vehicles, together with the inspection and site-security operations at the depot, may affect service operations. However, the company is taking steps to minimize disruption for passengers by implementing an emergency plan that will mobilize vehicles and resources from across the regional network over the coming days.
Franco Middei, CEO of Autolinee Toscane, stated “We are cooperating with judicial authorities and all relevant bodies to fully clarify the causes of the fire and reconstruct exactly what happened. While investigations are ongoing, the company’s priority is to mitigate and resolve the impact of this event and ensure service continuity, drawing on resources and expertise from across the region. I would like to extend my sincere thanks to all my colleagues who, since last night, have been handling this situation with great professionalism, competence, and a strong sense of responsibility.”
