Govt. bus crew suspended after driver slaps passenger in Tiruvannamalai

The bus crew’s behaviour towards the passenger was highly unwarranted, a TNSTC official told The Hindu

The Tamil Nadu State Transport Corporation (TNSTC), Tiruvannamalai, on Friday (November 15, 2024) suspended the crew of a government bus a day after its driver allegedly slapped a passenger who demanded balance for the money he had paid for his ticket, at Vengikkal village near the Collectorate in Tiruvannamalai.

Officials of the TNSTC said, after an inquiry, suspension orders were issued by S. Gopalakrishnan, general manager, TNSTC (Tiruvannamalai), to the driver of the bus S. Venkatesan and conductor V. Kandan.

When the bus, which travels on route 715 between Tirupur and Vellore town via Tiruvannamalai, halted at the Tangedco bus stop in Vengikkal village at around 8.15 a.m. on Thursday (November 14, 2024), a passenger, who got down from the bus, asked for the balance for the ticket he had brought from the bus conductor. The passenger had handed him a ₹100 note for a ₹13 bus ticket, and he had been told to get the change when he got down at his destination.

But the conductor allegedly ignored his request and the bus started moving. The passenger immediately got on a two-wheeler that belonged to his friend and followed the bus.

He managed to stop the bus at Thendral Nagar. An altercation broke out between the passenger and the bus crew, during which the driver Venkatesan allegedly slapped the passenger.

A purported video of the attack went viral on social media. “Their (the bus crew’s) behaviour was highly unwarranted. They did not report the incident to the higher-ups, which was against the rules. Also, the incident resulted in traffic jams and public inconvenience. So, they were suspended,” a TNSTC official told The Hindu.

Published - November 15, 2024 02:06 pm IST