Bomb scare: KSRTC to screen buses before departure

 A day after a petrol bomb was found in a Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC) bus at Somwarpet in Kodagu district, the Corporation has decided to increase vigilance on its services.

A senior official of the KSRTC told Deccan Herald that a decision had been taken to depute special squads for security check on buses at major bus terminals. In Bangalore, such checks will be done at Kempegowda Bus Station, Shanthinagar and Mysore Road satellite bus stands.

“The squad will enter the bus before it is set for departure and will thoroughly screen the vehicle with the help of metal detectors and other equipment. We have initiated this move keeping in mind the bomb blast incident in Hyderabad. Even the Central government has told State governments to be on high alert to avoid such incidents,” he said.

On Wednesday, a petrol bomb about to explode was found in a KSRTC bus which was stationed at Somwarpet. The bus was on its way from Harihar to Madikeri. The blast plan was foiled after a passenger informed the conductor about the bomb.

B K Singh, Director (Security and Vigilance), KSRTC, said public participation also goes a long way in keeping public transport system safe. We want them to be alert whenever they are on board and inform conductor or driver if they find suspicious elements.

Another official from the Corporation said that the KSRTC was also drawing a plan to create more awareness among passengers. As of now, we are depending only on public address system at major bus terminals for creating security awareness among passengers. Soon, we will get on to multi-media mode to send alerts and safety tips to passengers, he added.