Video of KKRTC bus operating without headlights raises safety concerns; three suspended

Kalaburagi (Karnataka), Jul 6 (PTI) A video purportedly showing a state-owned public transport bus being driven without functional headlights and the crew using a mobile phone torchlight to manage the situation has gone viral on social media, raising concerns over passenger safety. Three staff members, including the bus driver, have been suspended for dereliction of duty. The video shows a Kalyana Karnataka Road Transport Corporation (KKRTC) bus operating on the Kalaburagi--Chincholi route being driven at night in near-total darkness due to faulty headlights. While the driver steers the bus, the conductor is seen using the torchlight of a mobile phone to illuminate the road ahead, allegedly putting the safety of passengers at risk. In connection with the incident that occurred on July 4, three staff members, including the bus driver, have been suspended, said the Divisional Controller of Kalaburagi Division-1 of KKRTC, SG Gangadhar. According to him, on July 4, the K A 28 F-1985 bus, which was assigned to the Chincholi-Kalaburagi route, ran with a mobile torch light due to the headlight being slow. In this regard, the officials visited the Chincholi unit and submitted an inspection report. "Accordingly, the technical staff Shivananda, who did not repair the bus properly, the technical supervisor Basavaraj, who did not supervise it, and the driver Akash, who drove the vehicle carelessly without repairing it, have been suspended for dereliction of duty," he said in a statement. All the unit managers and staff have been instructed to perform their duties with vigilance to prevent such incidents from happening again, Gangadhar added. According to officials, the bus departs from Kalaburagi at 7.30 pm for Chincholi, covering a distance of about 84 km. Targeting the state government over the matter, the opposition parties in Karnataka alleged that the incident reflected the poor condition of the state's public transport system and accused the Congress government of "failing" to ensure the safety of passengers. The BJP alleged that due to the Congress government's failure, passengers were compelled to travel nearly 90 km from Kalaburagi to Chincholi using mobile phone torches after the headlights of a rickety bus failed. "Everything is in disarray under the Congress government's misrule. In the Kalyana Karnataka region, the lack of adequate buses has forced people to travel at the risk of their lives," it said in a post on 'X'. The BJP wondered if the Congress government was unable to properly manage even a basic public service like the transport system, how can it be expected to improve the state. The JD(S) too hit out at the state government over the video, slamming the "pathetic" state of governance under the Congress government's "guarantee" regime. "The fact that a KKRTC bus travelling between Kalaburagi and Chincholi was allegedly operating without headlights, forcing passengers to travel with the conductor using the light from a mobile phone torch, is a stark reflection of the government's administrative failure," it alleged in a post on 'X'. It alleged that the new buses purchased using funds from the Kalyana Karnataka Region Development Board (KKRDB) have reportedly been diverted elsewhere, while buses that should have been scrapped are being operated on the Chincholi route. "Why is the Congress government showing such a stepmotherly attitude towards the Kalyana Karnataka region? This alleged negligence by the Transport Department, which is playing with the lives of innocent passengers, is highly condemnable," it claimed. JD(S) demanded immediate action against the officials responsible and that roadworthy buses be deployed in this region without delay. "The Transport Minister (Byrathi Suresh) appears to be occupied with publicity rather than showing concern for the safety of the common people," it alleged. PTI AMP COR SA ADB