Study on accidents to steer KSRTC's driver training

The Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC) is planning to develop a new set of training modules for its drivers, based on findings from recent research on fatal accidents involving buses run by the corporation.

V Anbukumar, the KSRTC MD, said findings from a study conducted by the World Resources Institute (WRI) would drive this effort, aimed at bringing down the number of accidents.

He noted that while KSRTC had been organising training programmes for its drivers, the new initiative has drivers with a history of accidents as its focus.

“The programme will try to address the problem of rash driving. We hope to take this forward by covering the depots in a phased manner. The WRI has been studying the accidents, analysing the causes and recommending corrective measures,” Anbukumar told DH.

A senior KSRTC official told DH that the data on fatal accidents involving KSRTC buses during the first four months of this year was being analysed and the corporation proposed to set the training programme in motion by the end of August.

The training is also expected to address concerns over drivers who are struggling with work-related stress.

The corporation had organised a workshop for accident-prone drivers in Bengaluru, in May, where pedestrians who cross roads while speaking on their phones and two-wheeler riders who take abrupt turns without indication were cited as two of the major accident causes.

Going experiential

Sensitisation exercises, motivational talks and interactive sessions are expected to be part of the programme that builds on KSRTC’s existing training infrastructure.

“One of the suggestions that came up during the analysis of data was to have our drivers cycle or walk on the roads as buses ply past them, to help them see these concerns from the other side,” the official said.

The KSRTC reported 494 accidents involving its buses in 2021-22.

The corporation currently imparts training to drivers at its training institutes in Malur, Malavalli, Hassan, Chikkamagaluru and Holalkere. It collaborates with domain experts to design these training modules.

Figures released by the KSRTC revealed that 39% of the fatal accidents (January to April) are caused by drivers aged between 40 and 50 years and about 23% of the accidents by drivers in the 36-40 age group.

Two-wheeler riders and pedestrians were involved in 44% and 19% of the accidents, respectively.