Is BMTC a killer vehicle?

Is BMTC a killer vehicle?
DH News Service, Bangalore:
The roads of the City have become death traps due to accidents is a well-known fact. Moreover, the BMTC buses which has a major role to play in these accidents and is responsible for the public wrath is not new either.

Of the 910 deaths in road accidents that occurred in Bangalore in 2007, 115 were victims of BMTC and 363 people were injured in accidents involving them. This year, four people have already come under the wheels of BMTC buses and Saturday’s incident was no different. This, despite the State run corporation bagging the National Peacock Award for safe driving in 2006, a year in which 84 people were killed and 337 injured.

BMTC and KSRTC incurred a loss of Rs 20 to Rs 25 lakh each after four public transport buses were torched by an irate mob. “Whenever a road accident occurs involving a bus, the first thing people do is to set the bus on fire. They vent their ire on the bus involved, irrespective of whether the driver is at fault or not,” said Dastagir Sheriff, chief traffic manager (Operations), BMTC.

The family of the victim of Saturday’s accident was paid a compensation of Rs 15,000 by BMTC. Officials said that the victim’s family members would have also been entitled to an accident compensation of one lakh rupees, if he had a valid commuter pass of BMTC.


Major incidents of mob damaging buses in Karnataka:

*February 2, 2008: Mob torched five State owned buses including four BMTC buses following the death of Noor Pasha on Lalbagh Fort Road.

*January 25, 2008: Mob torched private bus at Ulsoor after it ran over a KAT employe Yashodamma.

*January 17, 2008: A dozen BMTC buses were stoned after a goods vehicle knocked Thimmaiah dead at Kamakshipalya. Policemen were also attacked.

*October 18, 2007: A BMTC Volvo bus was burnt after it killed B G Srinivasan on Airport Road.

*October 9, 2007: A bus was torched at Singasandra after it crushed a woman to death.

*September 18, 2007: A TN government’s public transport bus was burnt charring two persons on board in Bangalore following the anti-Rama statement by Tamil Nadu CM M Karunanidhi

*November 27, 2006: Three KSRTC buses were burnt at Ankola in Karwar after a KSRTC bus ran over two students.

BUS DRIVER ARRESTED
Bangalore, DHNS: The Wilson Garden police arrested Sampangi (50) the driver of the BMTC bus that had fatally knocked down a 25-year-old youth on Saturday night.
Some people met DCP of Central Division B N S Reddy and demanded stringent action against the bus driver. Police have also registered two cases against ‘unknown’ rioters who had torched four BMTC buses and a KSRTC bus and tried to damage one more State owned bus.
However, so far no one has been arrested for rioting.