As the government cracks the whip on priv-ate buses following the Mahabubnagar bus tragedy, data from the traffic police reveals that buses of the AP State Road Transport Corporation (APSRTC) were behind several mishaps in the city.
APSRTC buses account for 10 to 11 per cent of all road accidents annually, the data says. This year, the state-run vehicles accounted for 210 of a total 1,994 road mishaps till October. Although there is no data available on who or how many were victims of these accidents, traffic officials said most were either pedestrians or two-wheeler riders.
In 2012, the APSRTC was involved in 288 of a total of 2,577 accidents (11 per cent) in Hyderabad, while in 2011, the number stood at 293 (11 per cent), out of 2,651 road mishaps.
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When contacted, APSRTC Executive Director (Greater Hyderabad Zone) A. Koteshwar Rao said most accidents were due to the carelessness of youngsters, who were the victims in a majority of the cases.
“In most cases, the accidents take place when people try to board running buses, or when they try to get down before the bus comes to a halt. A majority of the victims are youngsters who aren’t very careful when they travel in buses,” he observed.
He also claimed that two-wheeler riders try to overtake buses from both sides, resulting in collisions.
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“Our drivers too are at fault at times. Whenever an accident takes place, we make sure that the accused is removed or suspended immediately,” Mr. Rao said.
The APSRTC conducts biweekly programmes for drivers, so as to ensure that they avoid road accidents. However, regular commuters like Musheerabad resident K. Shanker (27) are not impressed.
“RTC bus drivers do not halt at the designated spots and most of us are forced to run after a bus,” he said.