A committee appointed by the Madras High Court after the Kandanchavadi accident in 2012 — when four students travelling on the footboard of a Metropolitan Transport Corporation (MTC) bus died — has observed that scientific data on travel patterns is absent.
Only such information can help in rational decisions on the frequency of services, operating students’ and women’s specials, introducing new routes, setting up bus stops and related matters, the committee has said.
Taking suo motu cognisance of the tragedy, the High Court had directed the advocate-general to get instructions on the safety measures it proposes to undertake to prevent such accidents. 'After the accident, the High Court had also appointed a committee headed by a retired High Court judge and two retired IAS and IPS officers.
The committee had made 30 recommendations on preventing footboard travel and accidents and improving commuter facilities.
A key recommendation had been for all buses to have automatic doors by March 2018. Another suggestion had been for a separate MTC wing, comprising experts, to continuously make studies and generate data.
MTC buses should also conform to the Motor Vehicles Act and rules with regard to carrying capacity, the committee had suggested.
In a counter, the transport department had submitted that doors would be installed on all buses in a phased manner. At present, doors have been fitted in 1,826 MTC buses and action is being taken to provide the facility in the remaining vehicles.
MTC has also issued instructions to all bus conductors and drivers to not allow footboard travelling.
It has also detailed the steps taken for increasing fleet strength, and installing CCTV cameras on vulnerable routes and inside buses.
Disposing of the petition, the First Bench, comprising Chief Justice S.K. Kaul and Justice M.M. Sundresh, has directed the State government to find a mechanism, at the secretary-level in the transport or home departments, to oversee the implementation of the committee’s suggestions.
The committee
had made 30 recommendations on preventing footboard travel and improving facilities
