The police team investigating the the road accident that took place on Tuesday night on the Chennai-Bangalore National Highway near Kaveripakkam in Vellore district, will also study and prepare a report on the defects in such high-tech bus designs, according to Inspector General of Police, North Zone, C. Sylendra Babu.
No easy access to emergency exit
Talking to reporters after inspecting the accident site on Thursday, Mr. Sylendra Babu said that preliminary investigation had suggested that severe damage caused to the air-conditioning unit and subsequent spill-over of diesel on the hot silencer might have resulted in the fire. Further, the bus design, as noticed by the investigating team, lacked proper and easy-to-use emergency exit facility.
Death trap
“Thus the bus design itself served as a death trap for the passengers who travelled in the ill-fated vehicle on June 7 night,” he said.
Negligent driving
When it was pointed out to him that several stretches along the national highway, particularly in Ambur, Kaveripakkam etc., had become accident-prone,Mr. Sylendra Babu said over speeding, wrongful overtaking and non-adherence to traffic rules were among the reasons for such accidents.
Driving licences of goods carrier drivers were being cancelled if they were found to be carrying general public in their vehicles, Mr. Sylendra Babu said.
