Every time a Metropolitan Transport Corporation (MTC) bus gets involved in a fatal accident, all fingers point at the driver of the vehicle. But, the men behind the wheel claim that they alone are not to be blamed.
From stress to poor braking performance, a lot of factors contribute to accidents caused by the buses, say MTC sources. One of the reasons attributed to accidents is over-speeding. But drivers claim they have to drive at high speeds to complete trips on time.
“The duration of a trip was fixed in the 1960s. At that time, there was very little traffic. Now, the MTC has to conduct a scientific study, taking into consideration the mounting traffic and number of halts, and come up with new timings,” said K. Natarajan, general secretary of MTC Employees Progressive Union.
The MTC has a fleet strength of over 3,500 buses and each bus goes on six trips per day on an average. “The driver is under stress to reach the destination on time,” he said. The braking performance of the bus is also poor due to over-loading. “It is 35 to 40 per cent when a performance rate of at least 70 per cent is necessary,” he added.
A senior MTC official said that if the police proved that an MTC driver is responsible for a fatal accident, he is sent for training to the MTC’s training centre in Chromepet. “He will be given training after a proper counselling session,” the official added.
He said that the driver will be trained in handling emergency situations. “He is also taught yoga to calm his mind,” the official added.
