Bengaluru: Following a fatal bus accident Saturday morning in Bidadi which led to the death of a Kerala State Road Transport Corporation driver and conductor, an internal probe has been ordered. According to revelations made by friends of the deceased driver Mithilesh K, a lack of rest and procedural oversights may have led to the crash.The accident occurred when the Kozhikode-Bengaluru Super Deluxe bus rammed a highway signboard, claiming the lives of both the temporary driver, Mithilesh, 35, and conductor, Arun NM, on the spot.Speaking to the media at Mithilesh’s native Kozhikode, his close friend said the driver was severely deprived of rest before taking the wheel. Mithilesh had returned to the Kozhikode depot from a Mysuru trip Friday morning — just hours before he was assigned to drive the bus overnight to Bengaluru, which typically takes 8-9 hours.The transport corporation’s circular issued in June mandates that buses above the super fast passenger category must be operated by permanent staff, permitting temporary employees only under “unavoidable circumstances.”Even in such exceptions, the duty is supposed to go to the senior-most temporary drivers available at the depot.While guidelines also recommend a driver-cum-conductor model on long-distance interstate routes to relieve fatigue, the bus was operating with a single driver. Arun was not qualified as a driver-cum-conductor, leaving Mithilesh to handle the entire overnight drive alone.Addressing the incident, Kerala transport minister CP John stated that the bus had passed all requisite fitness tests and attributed the crash to human error. Acknowledging growing concerns over the driver’s lack of rest, John assured that an internal inquiry will examine all aspects leading up to the tragedy.
