Bengaluru: The condition of city’s BMTC buses has hit an all time low with an alarming rise in technical snags and breakdowns, often putting the lives of the crew and commuters at risk.
In the latest incident on Tuesday night the fuse box of a Volvo bus fell on driver’s head leaving him seriously injured. The incident happened when the bus was returning to Katriguppe Depot from ITPL. Luckily there were no passengers in the bus.
A source told DC that the driver was bleeding profusely and the BMTC staff rushed him to DG Hospital, where he received 3 stitches. This was the third such accident and the management has failed to act despite repeated complaints.
"The fuse box is located 3.5 feet above the driver's seat. Once a week, the mechanical staff is supposed to check the air, pipes, fuse box, brakes, before the bus leaves the depot. The display board in AC buses emit signals if there is a problem with any of the parts, but they generally ignore" the source complained.
However a BMTC official said the driver had kept three water bottles next to the fuse box and did not lock it. “It was due to his negligence that the fuse box fell down. The Depot Manager has confirmed that he sustained minor injuries and is recovering," he said.
Countering the allegation the source said, "They always blame the drivers for negligence. How can water bottles push a whole fuse box? Firstly, drivers have a separate space for bottles. Secondly, there is supposed to be a tag that stops the fuse box from falling if the lock is broken, which is missing in most buses."
