Mini bus owners and drivers have been cautioned against playing loud music in their vehicles. Addressing the owners and drivers of mini buses at a meeting held in Madurai on Tuesday, Superintendent of Police V. Balakrishnan said that often film songs were played so loud in the buses that the drivers could hardly hear honking by other vehicles. It also distracted the attention of the drivers, he said.
Playing of songs often led to a law and order problem. “Passengers quarrelled with each other or with the bus crew when there are songs praising or belittling a particular caste leader. Such incidents have resulted in caste clashes in villages,” he said.
“The mini buses do not make long journeys. Passengers hardly travel for 30 to 40 minutes and they can very well do without the music,” Mr. Balakrishnan said.
Acknowledging the point raised by the SP, Regional Transport Officer (North) N. Ravichandran said that the conductors were not able to pay attention to passengers buying tickets. “In some cases, the conductor’s whistle is not heard by the driver,” he said. He appealed to the bus owners to remove the audio system for the benefit of the passengers and the bus crew.
The SP wanted the drivers not to violate the route permit issued by the government. “This is not only violation of the permit, but also defeating the very purpose of plying the mini buses - to provide bus connectivity to remote rural areas where the government buses are not being operated,” he said.
A major complaint against the drivers was that they made a sudden halt in the middle of the road for passengers on the roadside, unmindful of vehicles following behind. “You are more bothered about your ticket collection and not about the road users,” he said.
Maintenance of vehicles and adherence to road rules will earn a good name for the mini bus services among the public, he said.
Regional Transport Officer K. Kalyanakumar (Central) also addressed the drivers.
