Chennai: With state transport employees on flash and indefinite strike, untrained bus drivers appointed to fill in the shoes of regular drivers have brought fear in minds of two-wheeler riders and pedestrians.
According to reports, two persons were killed in road accidents involving government buses driven by temporary drivers during last four days. “Recruitment process for appointing drivers in transport department involves rigorous training. Though driving license holders are selected for the job, the training involves handling of age-old buses and tackling emergency,” one of the protesting drivers said.
Meanwhile, many minor and major accidents involving government buseshad been reported across the state. On Sunday, 18-year-old R. Ajith Kumar was killed in a mishap at Santhome High Road in Chennai. In another incident at Virudhachalam, David of Chennai died when a government bus driven by acting driver rammed into his motorcycle.
“When van drivers and truck drivers are allowed to handle government buses, they would struggle to drive on busy and narrow roads. They do not have the experience and training to regain the control of the bus in emergency situations,” the government driver said.
Despite the motorists and pedestrians expressed fears, the government continues to appoint temporary drivers. “Whenever I see a bus driver driving without uniform, I just stop-by the sideway and wait until the bus crosses. Some drivers even struggle to take reverse,” R. Kirubakaran of Valasaravakkam said.
On Saturday, an MTC bus hit the compound wall of Avadi bus depot on Saturday, while trying to enter the depot. On the same day, a government bus plunged into the paddy fields leaving passengers with mild injuries. Also, a bus heading to Maruthamalai from Gandhipuram in Coimbatore, which is also in the hands of acting drivers, lost control and rammed an elderly man, leaving him unconscious.
“The government should stop playing with lives of passengers. It should take steps to end the strike,” a protesting trade union member said.
Casual driver arrested
A day after a teenage biker was killed after an accident involving a MTC bus that didn’t bother to stop after hitting him, police have identified and arrested the driver of the bus, a temporary driver hired by MTC.
The driver, Balakrishnan, 52, was driving the MTC bus (route number 102) from Broadway to Kannagi Nagar, police said.
Balakrishnan was employed as a van driver with a private travels in Kannagi Nagar and he volunteered when MTC called for temporary staff to operate the buses after the strike by transport unions.
On Sunday, around 2:30 pm, the bus he was driving got involved in the accident in which an 18-year-old boy, Ajith Kumar, of Dooming Kuppam got killed. Without realising that he had hit a biker, Balakrishnan had left the scene.
The incident quickly escalated into a law and order issue as locals staged a road roko after learning that the teenager died in an accident involving a MTC bus. The ongoing strike by transport employees and the use of temporary drivers across the state has been ridiculed by the public as commuter safety has been compromised by hiring temporary drivers.
On Saturday too, buses operated by temporary drivers met with mishaps across the state.Traffic police had to peruse CCTV footage to identify the MTC bus that knocked down Ajith Kumar’s bike as three buses had passed in the stretch around the time.
“A footage from an ATM on Santhome high road gave us a clear picture after which we zeroed in on the MTC bus and thereby the driver,” a senior traffic police officer said.
Adyar traffic police investigation wing registered a case under section 304 (a) (causing death due to negligence) against Balakrishnan. He was produced before a magistrate and remanded to judicial custody.
Accidents
- January 5 - A minibus (which was diverted) plunged into paddy field near Nagercoil.
- January 6 - Vallalar nagar to CMBT MTC bus rammed on a bike
- Besant Nagar to Perambur MTC bus rammed on a pedestrian
- CMBT to Avadi MTC bus rammed into wall at Avadi
- A bus plunged into paddy field near Panruti
- January 7 - A youngster killed in a bus accident in Chennai.
- A man killed in bus accident near Virudhachalam
- An elderly man injured as a bus rammed into him in Coimbatore
- January 8 - A bus rammed into electric post near Thiruparankundram
(Police cases have not been filed about some incidents)
