Road Monsters

RASH DRIVING
ROAD MONSTERS
The police crackdown on rash driving is on. But motorists call for focus on killer BMTC buses, maxicabs, lorries and call-centre vehicles
The Times of India

WHEN it comes to rash driving, it’s often the bigger vehicles which cause most accidents, especially fatal ones. Last year saw 9,101 road accidents involving the death of 903 people. Many of these accidents were caused by rashly driven BMTC buses, lorries, maxicabs and call centre vehicles. With the traffic police crackdown on rash driving under way, BT looks at the real danger these vehicles pose to Bangaloreans...

BUSES
When it comes to complaints about the most rashly driven vehicles in the city, it’s always BMTC buses which come up tops for motorists. “I’ve been a victim of rash driving by BMTC buses several times. Recently, I was driving beside a bus, which suddenly sped up, turned left from the right side of the road and parked at an angle at the bus stop. The bus hit the bonnet of my vehicle. I went to the police and they just told me to ask for insurance,” says software professional Jaimon Jose. His is a complaint many Bangaloreans have. The BMTC is said to be responsible for between 70-100 deaths a year — last year, alone, their buses caused 98 deaths, and injured 463 people. Top complaints: Speeding, overtaking from wrong side, fatal accidents, signal jumping, stopping in the middle of the road.

CALL-CENTRE VEHICLES
Most call-centre vehicles do have phone numbers displayed, to complain about rash driving. But that does not seem a deterrent to many. When calls are made, call centres and the companies
from where they outsource the vehicles often pass the buck. Call centre vehicles are involved in around 700 of the nearly 10,000 accidents reported every year. “At least 15-20 call centre drivers get fined in our area during weekend special night checks for dangerous drunk driving,” says traffic inspector S Singhad. Top complaints: Speeding, cutting lanes, signal jumping, driving on one-ways, ignoring signals at night.

MAXICABS
Recently, an angry mob pelted stones at a maxicab and set it on fire after the cab driver ran over and killed two people and injured three on Magadi road. Around 40-50 accidents involving maxicabs have been reported this year. “I was driving on the Indiranagar-Koramangala inner ring road in the middle lane. A maxi cab on the right lane just switched to the left lane at a curve without any indication and hit my vehicle from the side,” says techie Praveen Rao. Top complaints: Stopping suddenly to pick up passengers, speeding, cutting lanes, driving too close to other vehicles.

LORRIES
While lorries aren’t allowed on most inner-city roads, they too cause several accidents and even deaths. Recently, in a hit and run case, a 55-year-old woman was run over by a speeding truck when she was walking in front a gym. Most accidents caused by lorries involve pedestrians and twowheeler riders. “There are roads like Hosur Road where lorries are allowed. With so many colleges and offices in that area, deaths caused by lorries are increasing every day. Authorities must do something to make punishments harsher for these drivers,” says SP Samuel, teacher. Top complaints: Speeding, running motorists off the road, hit and run, cutting lanes, fatal accidents.