A 35-year-old woman was fatally knocked down by a Metropolitan Transport Corporation bus while crossing the Grand Southern Trunk Road near the BSNL office in Chromepet on Saturday morning.
Gomathi of Ettayapuram in Naduveerapattu near Tambaram, who was working in a private firm in Chromepet, was hit by the bus plying between Guduvanchery and T.Nagar. She sustained severe head injuries and was rushed to the nearby Government Hospital. However, she was pronounced dead on arrival.
The driver, Palani, 33, of Krishnagiri, was taken into custody by the Chrompet traffic police.
On Friday, a 17-year-old school student crashed into a post along the road at Kodambakkam while travelling footboard in a bus and died. The victim, Subash of Nerkundram, was travelling with two of his friends, who sustained injuries.
On Thursday morning, an MTC bus rammed a hotel, a textile showroom and a house. A 20-year-old was seriously injured while other passengers escaped unhurt in the accident that occurred in Karayanachavadi near Poonamallee.
Charge of harassment
The series of accidents involving MTC buses show the corporation in a poor light. While many drivers complained that the management was making them overwork and was also harassing them, officials said that they were taking steps to put erring drivers on the right track.
“Drivers are now afraid that they will have to face an inquiry for unsafe driving. We have deputed driving instructors at important bus stops, particularly during rush hour, to note down the names of erring drivers. We are also getting more calls from passengers after we made our grievance cell a round-the-clock service. Our intention is not only to warn erring drivers but also make them realise their mistake and adopt safe driving practices,” a senior MTC official said. The MTC has sent a circular to all depot managers in Chennai and suburbs cautioning the drivers that they would face an inquiry if they failed to follow traffic regulations.
68 fatal accidents
“Till May this year, 68 fatal accidents were recorded in the city, and eight of them involved MTC buses. A lot needs to be done to educate drivers of government buses on safety measures,” a senior traffic police officer said.
When an MTC bus driver is involved in an accident, he is put through a three-month refresher course. “Through this measure, the transport corporations seek to bring about a psychological change in the driver,” he said.
There had been a series of accidents involving MTC buses in 2015 and 2016, but the incidence has come down this year, an MTC official said.
People can lodge their complaints and suggestions to the grievance cell, Metropolitan Transport Corporation Limited, at 94450 30516 and 93833 37639. Commuters can send complaints to feedback@mtcbus.org .
