Lackadaisical operation by state carrier Kerala State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC) without ensuring adequate rest for its drivers continues to be a safety scare for passengers.

The recent freak accident at Kilimanoor on Tuesday morning where a Superfast bus rammed a lorry, is the latest instance of similar accidents involving long route KSRTC buses.

 

It has been learnt that the driver involved in the accident had been forced to work without considering the fact had returned after a long trip on Monday.

The recent mass transfer of drivers before elections made the depot short of 48 drivers, said a bus driver from Muvattupuzha depot on condition of anonymity. “A passer-by on seeing the driver erring after it passed Kottarakara had informed the control room to stop the bus at Kilimanoor. But the bus had left by the time officials acted,” he said.

The bus from Muvattupuzha depot met with a similar accident three months ago at Ayoor due to driver’s fatigue. Meanwhile, KSRTC denied that the driver was forced to work. “First of all we do give our drivers enough rest. No driver is forced to work continuously without his consent.” said Executive director (Operations) of KSRTC  P M Sharaf Muhammed.

Many long distance multi-axle buses to Bangalore are driven by a single driver who has to make a return trip the next day. In one instance when a driver took a 30-minute break for quick nap with the permission of passengers he was suspended by KSRTC and notice was pasted across the depots to serve as a deterrent, said VV Haridas of Welfare Association.

Enchakkal depot which started Thiruvananthapuram-Kozhikode service almost a year ago had met with 3 major accidents. Buses are operated in routes such as Erumeli-Chandanakampara, Ernakulam- Madurai, Pathanamthitta- Wayanad etc which require more than 10 hours of journey. The practice of  allowing or forcing drivers to take non-stop driving is in violation of the Motor Vehicles Act, 1988.

Transport Commissioner issued a circular on November 24 last year to penalise large vehicles running long distance without two drivers. It was issued on the basis of a series of accidents during the night involving fatigued drivers. But the circular has largely  remained on paper or have excluded KSRTC.

To ease the burden of long drive, the High Court has directed KSRTC through an order to appoint a driver-cum-conductor. But state carrier has not implemented it yet out of the pressure from conductor’s union, said Haridas. According to him a report by former Transport Commissioner T P Senkumar on regulating the schedule timing had not been implemented yet.

News : The New Indian Express

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