The Hindu : Tamil Nadu / Chennai News : Many MTC bus sans first aid box

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Thursday, Jul 17, 2008
ePaper | Mobile/PDA Version

Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu - Chennai

Many MTC bus sans first aid box

Vidya Venkat

This flies in the face of a stipulation set by the Motor Vehicles Rules

There are several instances of passengers getting hurt during travel

Photo: M.Karunakaran

One of the many MTC buses without a first-aid box. —

CHENNAI: In most Metropolitan Transport Corporation (MTC) buses it is difficult to find a first aid box.

This despite the Tamil Nadu Motor Vehicles Rules stating that it is the duty of a conductor in a stage carriage to ensure that “…the first aid-box contains all the articles prescribed…”

These boxes should be stocked with cotton, dettol, band-aid, balm and tinctures and kept behind the driver’s seat. However, in most buses only advertisements are found there. In some buses, one can find first-aid boxes but these are usually empty.

Mofussil buses too rarely carry first-aid boxes. In mofussil bus routes even finding a hospital is difficult.

Exemption

MTC Managing Director M. Ramasubramanian said the Corporation enjoyed “some kind of exemption for this.” MTC General Manager (Operations) C.Paramasivam said first-aid boxes were “not needed” in buses as there are enough hospitals in the city which passengers can approach in times of emergencies.

However, T.Ravikumar, founder-president of All India Rail and Bus Passenger’s Association ruled out any possibility of there being an exemption because it is mandatory for drivers and conductors of buses to know how to give first-aid. “They are even issued certificates for it from St. John’s Ambulance,” he said.

He said there were several instances of passengers cutting their fingers against sharp edges, falling down while climbing a raised footboard, getting hurt when drivers applied a sudden brake and so on. He said several old passengers got sick or fainted in buses and a first-aid box was essential in such situations.

He said even autorickshaws were supposed to carry them.

Shanta Dais, State secretary of Indian Red Cross Society, expressed similar concerns. “A first-aid box is essential for emergency-preparedness. Because these buses are crowded and the drivers are rash, it is all the more reason why buses must keep them,” she said.

Smelling salts

She said stocking up smelling salts could be of use to passengers feeling nauseous and this could help bus conductor’s avoid such people from vomiting inside or through the windows.

Printer friendly page
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Tamil Nadu