Schoolboy travelling on footboard tries to assault bus driver in Thoothukudi

TNSTC bus drivers were verbally abused and threatened by school students after they asked the footboard travellers to either get inside or get down

One of the buses that were stopped on the roadside at Millerpuram in Thoothukudi on Tuesday after the crew were issued death threat by a school student who was travelling on the footboard. | Photo Credit: N. Rajesh

Some school students who were travelling on footboard of buses here on Tuesday evening verbally abused and threatened two Tamil Nadu State Transport Corporation bus drivers who asked them to get inside.

One of boys issued death threat to the drivers saying that they would be murdered while crossing his village, Vadakku Silukkanpatti. When Thoothukudi — Eral, Thoothukudi — Kulaiyankarisal and Thoothukudi Old Bus Stand — District Collectorate buses were proceeding to their destinations around 5.30 p.m., students of a government-aided school at Millerpuram boarded the buses. As they were standing on the footboards, Thoothukudi — Eral bus driver Sivabalan and Thoothukudi — Kulaiyankarisal bus driver Jaswanth asked them to get inside.

As the boys continued their footboard travelling, the drivers stopped the buses a few metres away from Millerpuram bus stop and asked them to either get inside or get down. Agitated over this, the teens verbally abused Mr. Sivabalan and Mr. Jaswanth while one of them issued death threat to both of them, saying that they could not cross Vadakku Silukkanpatti. He even caught hold of the shirt of Mr. Sivabalan and tried to assault him. Mr. Jeswanth and other passengers intervened and separated them.

Immediately, the bus crew stopped the vehicles on the roadside and informed their higher-ups. When TNSTC Branch Manager Suresh arrived at the spot, Thoothukudi South Police Station Sub-Inspector Sivakumar and Sub-Inspector (Traffic) Venkatesh also reached the spot. They held talks with the students and the bus crew who were ready to file a complaint against the students, especially the boy who issued the death threat.

“The police are refusing to accept our complaint,” said Mr. Suresh. After the crew were pacified, the buses left for their destinations around 6.45 p.m.

Meanwhile, TNSTC Managing Director (Tirunelveli Region) Mohan said the bus crew had been instructed to ask footboard travellers, especially students, to get inside or get down.

“Since the footboard travellers, besides ignoring our employees’ repeated request, have tried to assault them and issued death threat to our drivers, I will ask them to file a police complaint,” Mr. Mohan said.