Four people, including a 10-year-old girl, lost their lives in BMTC bus accidents this month, sparking concerns over sudden acceleration, braking issues, and driver training in electric buses.
The safety of Bengaluru’s public transport fleet has come under sharp focus after four lives were lost in BMTC bus accidents within a month — three of them in just one week, including the tragic death of 10-year-old Tanvi Krishna.
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Much of the criticism is directed at the city’s electric buses. Transport unions argue that sudden acceleration, harsh braking, and near-silent movement make them more accident-prone. Unlike conventional BMTC buses, drivers of electric buses are hired by private operators under Gross Cost Contracts.
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Many of them, earlier accustomed to light motor vehicles, are now handling large e-buses with limited training, raising fears of inadequate preparedness.
Another worrying factor is passenger safety inside the buses. Sudden jerks from braking or acceleration have caused commuters to lose balance, resulting in injuries. Despite workshops conducted earlier this year to address these complaints, problems appear to persist.
BMTC officials, however, maintain that not every accident stems from driver negligence. Internal reviews of CCTV footage reportedly cleared drivers of blame in three of the four recent fatal cases. They insist that adherence to traffic rules by all road users remains the key to preventing such tragedies.
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