Team Udayavani, December 6, 2022 at 11:14 AM (STD)
Udupi: Recently, there have been many incidents in which passengers were injured or killed due to the negligence of drivers and bus operators. In the past 15 days, Udupi police have arrested three people in connection with such incidents.
accident-1
On December 4, Krishna Naik (70) of Hirgana fell to her death from a bus while trying to board it near Muroor. The bus conductor directed the driver to move but failed to ensure everyone boarded the Karkala-to-Hebri bus. Locals rushed Krishna Naik to hospital, however, he was pronounced dead by doctors. A case in this regard has been registered with the Karkala town police station.
accident-2
Just over a week before the Muroor accident, on November 26, Konchadi resident Chandrasekhara Naik (65) died when he alighted from his private bus near Konchadi Haleneeru Bettu. Here, too, bus conductors have been accused of failing to ensure the safety of passengers. The bus conductor, Manjunath, reportedly instructed the driver, Vishwanath Shetty, to drive the bus. Shankaranarayana Police Station registered a case in this regard.
In this case, the police arrested Jayaprakash Shetty (60 years old) and Manjunath (31 years old) along with the driver Vishwanath Shetty (53 years old).
commuting on pedals
Pedaling for various reasons is considered another leading cause of bus accidents. Even on the national and state highways, it was seen that the bus was packed with buses traveling on the Mangaluru-Padhubidri-Kalkala route. Teenagers and students travel on pedals every day.
This unsafe behavior can also invite trouble. There was a recent incident where a student fell off a running board and onto the road.
Commuters said infrequent bus service on the route led to overcrowding, especially during rush hour. If alternative arrangements are not made, more accidents are likely to occur in the future. Police and regional administrations should monitor this, they added.
Police warn of legal action
Udupi District Police Superintendent Hakay Akshay Machindra said that tough legal action will be taken against the erring bus staff. Recently, many incidents of negligent behavior of bus conductors and drivers have been exposed.
Dangerous practices such as moving buses without getting on and off passengers safely, overloading, and hanging passengers on the footboards have led to an increase in accidents, he said, adding that bus drivers and conductors would be directly responsible for these incidents.
