The Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC) has decided to install red lights to indicate emergency exits in its night buses even as it has directed conductors to compulsorily educate passengers about the location and use of these exits before the departure.
Guidelines
Following the >Wednesday’s accident in Andhra Pradesh in which 45 passengers travelling in a private Volvo bus were charred to death, KSRTC Managing Director N. Manjunath Prasad issued guidelines reiterating standard safety precautions to be observed by the corporation personnel.
The corporation has been issuing safety guidelines from time to time. Wednesday’s accident had sent shockwaves in the passenger transport sector. Therefore, steps were being taken to intensify safety precautions, he said.
Mr. Prasad told The Hindu that he issued a circular on Thursday to this effect. Conductors, before commencing the journey, should inform passengers about the location of emergency exits. In air-conditioned buses, conductors have to also educate passengers how to break open the glass panes of the exits in case of emergency.
He said though emergency exits had been clearly marked in all buses, steps would be taken to display markings in bold letters. Since lights would be switched off in long-distance night buses, red lights would be installed near the emergency exits for easy identification, Mr. Prasad said. Personnel in charge of bus maintenance have to mandatorily check electrical installations, including battery, cables etc., of buses before allowing them to ply. Only experienced and efficient drivers have to be deployed for long-distance and night buses, he said.
While transporting combustible material, including diesel, petrol, kerosene and LPG cylinders, in buses have been banned by a January 2005 order, bus crew should double check about violation of this order. If the crew come across any suspicious luggage, they should immediately report to higher authorities and get such luggage removed from the bus.
