Another BMTC bus hits the ground as its wheel comes off

Days after the BMTC came under spotlight over a bus hitting the ground after its front wheel came off due to poor maintenance, a similar incident near Mylasandra, off Mysuru Road, on Monday has put a question mark on the safety of the buses.

The incident took place around 8.30 am when a bus on route 222 was plying from Kengeri to KR Market. As the wheel came off, the front portion of the bus hit the ground with a thud. There were no casualties.

Passersby said it would have been a major tragedy if the accident had occurred on the other side of the road. “The bus would have plunged into the Vrishabhavathi drain as the retaining wall will collapse with the lightest impact,” they said.

The BMTC has previously said there are strict rules on bus maintenance. However, the incident near TVS Cross in Peenya on August 26 doesn’t seem to have changed much in BMTC.

“There are many buses that are more than eight years old. Such vehicles need extra care and maintenance. But officials take their own time to phase them out and induct new ones though the state government has sanctioned 3,000 new buses,” sources said.