Hyderabad: The TSRTC is caught napping, as it has failed to change with the changing times. Such is the casual way the corporation functions that it fails to rectify flaws and there is a sharp rise in accidents, killing many on the roads.
To cite an instance of TSRTC lethargy, it gives drivers three minutes to cover a distance of one km in city limits and 2.5 minutes in 'suburban' areas that are now very much part of the GHMC limits.
This might sound ludicrous, but the fact is these timings were fixed nearly five decades ago, after which the city's landscape has changed immensely, its traffic density multiplied, and several signal points have sprung up, interrupting traffic flow. Meeting the TSRTC stipulation results in more mishaps.
A TSRTC driver said, “The TSRTC has not considered revising the three minutes per kilometre timing even though there has been a massive increase in traffic volume, more obstructions on roads because of civic works and increase in number of traffic signals in the city over the decades. Currently, the ongoing metro work has affected our schedules even more. Areas like Miyapur, Patancheru and Lingampally are considered as suburbs by TSRTC and we are given just 2.5 minutes to cover a km even though these areas now fall under GHMC limits and have high traffic equivalent in relation to the main city areas.” As time schedules to cover various bus routes are fixed based upon the decades-old per-km timings, drivers are running way behind schedule. Besides mishaps, the sufferers are also passengers who are left stranded at bus stops for a long time before they get to catch a bus.
A major impact of the irrational time schedule is the high risk of accidents on roads due to hurried, often reckless driving, to meet with the prescribed schedule. Says a TSRTC driver, “We drive under pressure as we have to cover a minimum of 120-140km a day in a work shift of 7.5 hours.”
RTC buses involved in more than 210 mishaps
RTC buses were involved in at least six accidents every week this year
More than 210 accidents were caused by RTC buses in Hyderabad and Cyberabad in the first eight months of 2015. Most of the accidents were fatal. A majority of the victims were two-wheeler riders and pedestrians, records show.
Most accidents occurred due to rash driving and rule violations like jumping signals. City police has booked over 100 cases under IPC Section 304A (causing death by negligence) against drivers.
“RTC bus accidents are caused mainly by three kinds of negligence — when the drivers fail to check blind spots, when they turn the vehicle without watching for traffic and when they drive too fast without considering the condition of city roads,” said a police officer.
But RTC officials said the police books the driver of the bigger vehicle even if they are not responsible for accidents.
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