Public transport is the principal mode of transport for common people in India. It saves both time and money of the commoners who cannot afford the luxury of private cars. But it is really worrisome when this beneficial mode of transport poses a threat to the safety of the people. One such instance is the Bengaluru Metropolitan Transport Corporation(BMTC) buses which have been alleged to meet with frequent accidents due to lack of maintenance and amateur trainers for driving.
258 BMTC busses killed 50 people in 2018
Going by the statistical data provided by the corporation, in 2018, 258 BMTC buses have met with accidents and have claimed 50 innocent lives, reported The News Minute. The data has also depicted that out of 258 accidents, 46 were life-threatening, 28 caused large-scale damages and 184 were minor accidents. According to The News Minute, a senior BMTC official said, “This is in reference to the damage caused to human life and also the irreparable damage caused to the bud when referring to large-scale damage.”
According to The Hindu, a few days back, on December 18, two pre-university students near Mysuru Road, while crossing the road, were knocked down by a speeding bus. It was alleged that the brakes were not working properly and that led to the fatal accident. The BMTC employees have said that they reported the issues with the brakes of the buses a week ago. But the authorities have not paid any heed to it. The day after the death of the two students, a 24-year-old biker died after he lost control of his bike and came under the wheels of the bus.
Accidents that have occurred in the past
Statistical records the death troll due to BMTC bus accidents have almost doubled within a year. In 2017, 29 people lost their lives from 132 BMTC bus accidents.BMTC statistics show that from April 1, 2012, to March 31, 2017, 1828 accidents involving BMTC buses occurred in Bengaluru.Out of 1828 incidents,352 were fatal,68 were major and 1408 were minor accidents. In those accidents,370 people died and 1715 people have been injured. A compensation of Rs 52.68 crore has been given by the corporation under the Motor Vehicles Act.
According to sources, at present, BMTC is running on a budget of Rs 100 crore as per the fiscal budget 2018-19. The fund is claimed to be inadequate. It has also been claimed that 40% of the buses have completed 4 to 6 lakh service kilometers and immediately require replacement of the spare parts. According to The Hindu, the corporation is indifferent to replace the buses unless they complete 11 lakh service kilometers.
The BMTC bus accidents have not only become a threat to the pedestrians and the passengers but also to the bus drivers. Even when there is no fault of the bus drivers, who were cautious all the time, they are also becoming a victim of initial harassment by the police. Many of these accidents could have been averted and many innocent lives saved had the authorities not been so indifferent towards the safety of the public transport.
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