Report says abrupt speed reduction by KSRTC driver in the middle of the road caused tourist bus to crash into it from behind
Report says abrupt speed reduction by KSRTC driver in the middle of the road caused tourist bus to crash into it from behind
A report by the National Transportation Planning and Research Centre (NATPAC) has found fault with the Kerala State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC) bus driver as well for the road accident that claimed nine lives at Vadakkenchery in the district on October 5 night.
A speeding tourist bus carrying the students of Baselios Vidyanikethan Senior Secondary School at Vettikkal, Mulanthuruthy, Kochi, had rammed a KSRTC superfast bus from behind on the National Highway 544 at Anjumoorthy Mangalam, Vadakkenchery, killing five students and one teacher on the tourist bus and three passengers on the KSRTC bus.
An investigation by the Regional Transport Officer (RTO), Enforcement, had found that speeding and negligence on the part of the tourist bus driver as the main reasons for the accident.
However, the NATPAC report has found that the KSRTC driver was also equally responsible for the accident. The abrupt speed reduction by the KSRTC driver in the middle of the road caused the tourist bus to crash into it from behind, the report said.
Although the tourist bus driver was primarily responsible for the accident, according to the NATPAC, the KSRTC driver too cannot wash his hands of the tragedy. The NATPAC has found that the KSRTC bus had abruptly reduced speed in the centre of the road by violating the basic lane rules.
The report has also found fault with a car that was in the far-right lane at 50 km speed when the crash took place. The car should have been in the left lane.
The tourist bus driver had blamed the KSRTC driver for abruptly braking in the middle of the road. The NATPAC report has justified the allegation by the tourist bus driver.
