Chennai: As protesting transport employees continued to warn of dangers in appointing inexperienced temporary drivers in their place, two buses met with accidents on Saturday.
In the first incident, a Metropolitan Transport Corporation (MTC) bus plying from Koyambedu CMBT to Avadi (route number 77) on Saturday afternoon, rammed into the compound wall at Avadi MTC depot.
The onlookers said that the bus was trying to enter the depot forwhich it had to take a sharp turn. But the driver lost control of the bus and the side portion of the bus rammed into wall, an onlooker said.
Though none of the passengers or pedestrians was injured in the incident, passengers in the bus alighted in fear. Meanwhile, the protesting drivers alleged that the driver was an auto-rickshaw driver who had been appointed as a temporary driver.
In another incident, a bus heading to Cuddalore from Panruti plunged into a paddy field on Saturday evening. The temporary driver had lost control of the bus near Kilarangunam, en-route to Cuddalore, one of the passengers said.
Though no causality was reported, few passengers had suffered mild injuries.
Security beefed up after 28 buses damaged
With 28 buses allegedly attacked by protestors across the state, Chennai city police have increased security arrangements at as many as 32 depots in the city.
Though the transport employees continued their strike for the third day on Saturday, the government remained defiant by operating the buses with temporary drivers and buses. Due to this, incidents of attacking buses were reported at 28 spots on Friday night.
A police source said that, of total 28 incidents, 4 incidents occurred in Chennai. “Two buses were damaged at Chinthamani area near Anna Nagar. One bus at Tondiarpet and the other at Maduravoyal also had been damaged. Separate cases have been registered and we are investigating,” the source added.
Following the incidents the police have beefed up the security arrangements at 32 city bus depots, a police official added. “Hundreds of police personnel deployed at every depot under the leadership of local sub-inspectors,” the official added.
