BMTC drivers care a damn for law: police

BMTC drivers care a damn for law: police
But Drivers Say: Not All Are Bad We Do Care For The Public
The Times of India

Bangalore: Are the BMTC drivers above law? Ask the city police and the public — the answer certainly will be a big No.

Wednesday’s incident on the Bangalore-Tumkur Highway will further cement the public belief — they don’t really care for us.

City police officials say the BMTC bus drivers don’t obey traffic rules. They overtake from wrong side. They jump signals at will. They park buses haphazardly near bus stops. They bulldoze small vehicles. And, to top it all, they care a damn and refuse to pay fine when caught committing an offence.

“The list is endless and we’ve booked 8,762 cases against BMTC buses and 1,305 cases against KSRTC buses for violating traffic rules including drunken driving in the city last year,” a senior police officer told

“BMTC and KSRTC buses are the killers on the city’s roads,” the officer said, backing his allegation with statistics. “They have killed 123 persons in 2004, with pedestrians, cyclists and twowheeler riders among the victims. Put together, they have injured over 525 persons in the last year and damaged over 300 vehicles as a result of their rash driving,” he adds. Police records show that 28 persons fell victims to BMTC buses till February this year, while 106 cases have been booked against them for various offences. Most victims don’t lodge complaints out of fear or paucity of time, another police officer said.

However, BMTC MD Upendra Tripathy said those found guilty seldom go scot-free. “Certainly the drivers are not above the law. We suspend those involved in fatal accidents. For other accidents, we conduct departmental inquiry. We are also giving corrective training to many drivers now,” Tripathy said.

As an outcome of Monday’s meeting with police authorities, separate zones for bus parking would be allocated where autos and twowheelers would not be allowed, he said. Interestingly, the BMTC drivers have a different story. When asked about the lawlessness among them, a BMTC bus driver said: “We have to keep up time schedules. The vehicular population in Bangalore has increased by many folds. The roads are bad, bus bays are not adequate. Driving a big vehicle is not as easy as riding a scooter or an AC car.”

Another driver felt that they are often blacklisted due to a few drivers, who get a kick from speed. “There was a time when unionism among the drivers used to bring the city to a halt. Today’s incident is a smaller one. We do care for the public,” he said.
‘Cases booked’: Replying to the issue raised in the Legislative Assembly, deputy CM Siddaramaiah said the situation had been brought under control by about 10 am, about two hours after the altercation began.

“Cases have been booked against the concerned. About eight traffic constables sustained minor injuries and 13 tear gas shells were lobbed to disperse the crow,’’ he said.