Even as areas in and around Mysuru have been experiencing smog since the last few days making early morning driving a daunting task owing to poor visibility, KSRTC has asked its drivers to be careful and not take the risk of overtaking vehicles.
The instructions have come in the aftermath of the accident involving a KSRTC bus and a truck in Hunsur taluk on Wednesday.
Poor visibility owing to dense fog was blamed for the head-on collision that killed five persons, including the bus driver, truck driver and his assistant, and seriously injured over eight persons.
Clear instructions
Dense fog is common in New Delhi and many parts of North India. It’s not a recognisable phenomenon in places like Mysuru, according to weather experts. KSRTC Divisional Controller (Mysuru rural) Mahesh said that all depot managers had been asked to issue clear instructions to drivers.
“In case of a slight delay in reaching destinations, drivers need not worry but should ensure commuters’ safety,” he said.
Mr. Mahesh said drivers were also imparted periodic training at the KSRTC-run driving school at Malavalli. Authorities there had been asked to educate drivers on precautions to be taken while driving in hazy weather. “Perhaps, we are encountering such a problem for the first time in recent years,” he replied. Mr. Mahesh clarified that speed governors had been installed in all buses and cannot cross 70-km speed.
G. Govindaiah, Senior Farm Superintendent at weather monitoring station, Naganahalli, said haze in and around Mysuru had been attributed to moisture in the air. Haze engulfs the area, affecting visibility. “There was difficulty viewing objects beyond 1 km, and drivers must be careful,” he said.
Though in New Delhi, high levels of pollution are the main causes for haze, pollution levels were within the prescribed norms and are not the cause for fog, clarified Karnataka State Pollution Control Board Environment officer Raghuram.
