Reckless driving by private buses still a nightmare for road users in Tiruchi

A majority of accidents involving private buses are said to be due to competition among operators to reach their destinations first and meet their daily ticket sales

Rash and negligent driving involving private buses continues to endanger the lives of commuters and road users in the city. Recurring accidents due to reckless driving have raised concern among the public.

Many busy areas in the city often witness accidents due to over-speeding and rash driving by private buses. A majority of accidents involving private buses are due to competition among operators to reach their destinations first and meet their daily ticket sales.

Private bus drivers are said to turn a blind eye to traffic rules, indulging in rash driving, overtaking another vehicle on the wrong side, halting buses in the middle of the road to drop or board passengers ignoring the vehicles’ safety.

Frequent incidents of passengers slipping from the footboard or motorists and pedestrians being knocked down, leading to injuries, have not been reported. In one such incident on Tuesday, two private buses plying near Puthur junction collided, injuring at least 10 passengers. In the wake of the accident, the city traffic police booked the drivers of the buses on the charges of rash and negligent driving.

A section of road users allege that the police take action only after casualties or people file a complaint. “Accidents due to rash driving have been occurring every day and many go unreported. Authorities should conduct a study where frequent incidents occur and carry out special drives at those spots to curb the menace,” said C. Thilak, a motorist.

According to P. Ayyarappan, a road safety activist, the district administration, the city traffic police, and private associations should convene regular meetings to discuss road safety and conduct awareness programmes for bus drivers. “Stringent action and hefty fines should be imposed against those committing such offences,” he added.

When contacted, a senior traffic official told The Hindu that they were frequently carrying out drives against errant private buses and impose penalties for flouting the norms.

Published - October 17, 2024 07:42 pm IST