No change in attitude of BMTC bus drivers

No change in attitude of BMTC bus drivers

Anil Kumar Sastry

Drivers continue to park buses haphazardly at bus stops, says an aggrieved commuter

— Photo: K. Gopinathan

LESSONS NOT LEARNT: BMTC buses parked in a dangerous manner at a bus stop in Bangalore.

BANGALORE: A few months ago, Bangalore Metropolitan Transport Corporation (BMTC) had announced recruitment of 100 retired policemen to reign in BMTC drivers at wayside bus stops.

Had these men were in place as announced, Arundhati (42), who was crushed under the wheels of Route No. 401K in Rajajinagar I Block, would have been alive.

According to eyewitness accounts, the offending driver overtook a stationary bus from the left, killing Arundhati on the spot and injuring two.

The Kendriya Vidyalaya schoolteacher had just alighted from her bus when she was run over on Monday.

As per BMTC’s claim, these retired police personnel were to regulate parking of buses and their movement on bus stops and to eject autorickshaws parked near these stops obstructing BMTC buses.

H.N. Kumar, attached to Depot 12 (Kengeri), has been suspended and could lose his job after an inquiry.

He even might lose the driving licence as BMTC will recommend suspension of the licence to the Transport Department. One hundred and fifteen people were killed in accidents involving BMTC buses in 2007 and 11 in January and February this year in the city.

Although accidents involving Lorries (180), motorcycles (179) and cars (123) claimed more number of lives, buses should have been more people-friendly.
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Chief Traffic Manager (Operations) Dastagir Sharief told The Hindu that accidents such as Monday’s would discredit the corporation of a number of pro-passenger and pro-people initiatives.

BMTC had been identifying accident-prone drivers and had arranged counselling for them.

Besides, it had sought the services of Dr. Gururaj, a road safety specialist from NIMHANS, to conduct special counselling session for drivers, Mr. Sharief added.

G. Subhashchandra, a regular road user, frowns at haphazardly parked BMTC buses at bus stops.

“The drivers park buses at whatever available space, even on the middle of the road. Without waiting for the bus in front to move, the driver of the bus on its rear attempts to overtake putting other road users to inconvenience,” he said.

Monday’s accident was one such attempt where the driver of 401K overtook from the left, just like a motorcycle rider or an autorickshaw driver.