KSRTC Accidents Bring Driver Deployment Rules and Ageing Fleet Concerns to the Fore
A recent series of road accidents involving Kerala State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC) buses has brought operational practices, staffing decisions, and vehicle maintenance under intense scrutiny.
What Happened
On the morning of August 8, a KSRTC super deluxe bus travelling from Kozhikode to Bengaluru overturned at Bidadi on the Mysuru-Bengaluru highway. The accident resulted in the deaths of the bus driver, Mithilesh, and the conductor, N.M. Arun, while leaving approximately 25 passengers injured.
This incident followed another fatal mishap on August 3 in Palakkad district, where a KSRTC bus veered off the Nelliyampathy ghat road and fell into a depth, causing the death of a woman and injuring several other passengers. These events are part of a series of recent crashes involving the state transport operator’s fleet.
Key Highlights
- Staffing Directive Violations: Corporation staff pointed out that Mithilesh was an empanelled, temporary driver who had joined recently. This assignment reportedly violated a management directive from June 23 requiring only permanent, experienced drivers on super-class routes such as super fast, super deluxe, and fast passenger services.
- Inadequate Rest: The driver had completed a trip from Kozhikode to Mysuru on the morning of August 7 and was reportedly assigned to duty again without sufficient rest.
- Long-Distance Protocols: Staff reported that the protocol to deploy driver-cum-conductors on routes extending beyond five hours was not observed.
- Ageing Vehicle Fleet: The last bulk procurement of buses occurred between 2011 and 2016. A majority of the current buses are a decade or more old, having covered around 10 lakh kilometres during their initial five-year super-class service before being reassigned as ordinary buses.
- Regulatory Workarounds: Because the Parivahan portal restricts registration renewals for buses older than 15 years, the Transport Department has reportedly issued special orders to extend their registration validity.
- Official Relief Measures: Transport Minister C.P. John coordinated with Karnataka authorities for rescue operations. KSRTC deployed teams to visit injured passengers in hospitals and announced that the corporation will cover all treatment expenses.
Why This Matters
The issues raised by transport staff highlight systemic operational strains within KSRTC, where the combination of driver fatigue, non-compliance with crew deployment guidelines, and the wear and tear of buses running past their optimal lifespan directly impact passenger and road safety.
What to Watch Next
Attention remains on hospital care and recovery for the 25 injured passengers, the implementation of management rules concerning driver experience on long routes, and how the state transport department addresses fleet replacement and vehicle maintenance standards.
Frequently Asked Questions
What caused the Bidadi bus accident on the Mysuru-Bengaluru highway?
While investigations continue, staff members cited factors including the deployment of a newly joined temporary driver on a super deluxe route and inadequate rest following a previous trip.
What is the KSRTC policy regarding driver experience on super-class routes?
According to a corporation directive issued on June 23, only permanent and experienced staff members are supposed to be deployed as drivers on super-class services such as fast passenger, super fast, and super deluxe buses.
What steps has the government taken following the Bidadi crash?
Transport Minister C.P. John contacted Karnataka counterparts to coordinate rescue efforts, special KSRTC teams were sent to monitor injured passengers across hospitals, and the corporation confirmed it would bear the medical treatment costs.
Source: Reported based on operational updates and details published by The Hindu.