Poor maintenance of BMTC buses to blame for accidents?

BENGALURU: Regular commuters have come down heavily against the Bangalore Metropolitan Transport Corporation (BMTC) after a series of accidents involving its buses. The latest incident occurred on Thursday morning when a BMTC bus tyre burst near the Arogya Soudha Circle, causing panic among passengers and other road users.

Fortunately, no one was injured in the incident, but it has raised concerns about the safety of BMTC buses. This is not the first time that a BMTC bus has been involved in a mishap. Just a few days ago, a BMTC bus collided with an autorickshaw, killing two people.

A major disaster was averted when a tyre of a moving BMTC bus came off. An hour later, the bus was put back into service with new tyres. But the BMTC is not bothering such incidents. Commuters are now demanding that the BMTC take immediate action to overhaul its fleet and ensure that its buses are roadworthy.

“The BMTC needs to take the safety of its passengers seriously”, said one commuter. “It’s high time they overhaul their fleet and ensure that their buses are in good condition”, he added.

The BMTC has been facing criticism for poor maintenance of its buses, which has led to a series of mishaps in recent months. In December last year, two passengers were injured when a BMTC bus tyre burst while it was on its way from ITPL to Silk Board.

In view of the safety of passengers commuting on BMTC buses, the authorities should issue strict instructions to the respective depot managers to operate buses in good condition and to take strict action against drivers who violate traffic rules, commuters feel.

Mallikarjun, a BMTC passenger said, “Travelling in old BMTC buses is really a nightmare and risk our lives due their poor maintenance. An accident can happen anywhere and a tyre can burst at any moment. It is really dangerous in terms of operating 14- 15 years old buses”.