Barely six months after the Telangana State Road Transport Corporation inducted 40 electric buses into its fleet, there have been at least four major road accidents involving these buses. The remedial measures include retraining of drivers and punishment, including removal from service.
The latest accident was reported late on Saturday night in the Masab Tank area in which the bus from the Cantonment Depot, travelling the Rajiv Gandhi International Airport to Jubilee Bus Station route, swerved and crashed into a pole, resulting in damage to the windshield and front portion of the bus.
While the extent of damage of the accident reported on Saturday is being estimated, sources said the damage caused in the other major accidents would be upwards of ₹ 25 lakh. However, the expenses would not be borne by the TSTRC but by Olectra, the company from which the buses have been taken on gross cost contract basis.
A source familiar with the issue said, “The company is retraining drivers who have been involved in these accidents. They are being given refresher courses as well. Further, they are being made to undertake TSRTC’s courses in accident safety. If the accidents are very serious, then we are removing the drivers.”
Another source said that in an attempt to closely monitor driver performance, Olectra had deployed staff at Jubilee Bus Station.
All buses, he said, were fully insured. “Whenever there have been accidents, the buses are being sent for repairs to the Olectra workshop. We believe in safety first” he said.
