Chitradurga tragedy: Ill-fated bus had passed all checks, says transport commissioner

Bengaluru: The bus involved in the Chitradurga accident in the early hours of Thursday had all the necessary certificates and was equipped with emergency exits, according to transport commissioner.

Commissioner for Transport and Road Safety Yogeesh A M said that the bus, which belonged to Seabird Tourists, had passed a surprise check carried out by the department on November 12. Seabird Tourists has been operating out of Bengaluru for the past 25 years.

“For the past month, we have been carrying out a drive targeting buses that operate on long journeys. This particular bus was checked during the campaign, and it was found that it had all the necessities in check. What occurred was a pure accident, where the lorry ended up colliding with the bus,” he told DH. 

The commissioner also visited the accident site with his team on Thursday morning, and has asked for a revised Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) to be prepared for vehicles travelling during nightfall.

“This is not just for buses, but also for other vehicles like trucks and lorries. The SOP will be shared with all concerned. We will also be checking if there are enough bay areas for drivers to rest on long journeys,” he said.

In the wake of the Kurnool bus fire accident on October 24, the Karnataka Transport Department launched an inspection drive on private buses operating out of Bengaluru, especially focused on buses registered in other states like Nagaland and Odisha but operating from Karnataka. The drive also included inspections of emergency exits and fire safety tools. 

Such inspection drives will be carried forward into the New Year, Transport Minister Ramalinga Reddy said. 

“Bus safety is of utmost importance, and we’ll ensure safety rules are not flouted at any cost. We can also look into the fire-retardant materials which are used in these buses. Even if an accident occurs, we should know how the damage can be minimised. Will discuss this with bus operators,” he said.