Bengaluru: A 60-year-old autorickshaw driver was killed after an electric bus leased by Bangalore Metropolitan Transport Corporation (BMTC) and operated by a private operator allegedly went out of control and rammed his vehicle near KR Circle Saturday afternoon.The deceased is Krishnamurthy, a resident of Singasandra. Police detained bus driver Ranganath for questioning.According to eyewitnesses, the electric bus was heading from Majestic towards Chandapura when the accident occurred around 3:15pm near KR Circle Junction in central Bengaluru. The bus was allegedly travelling at high speed when it brushed against a four-wheeler before ramming Krishnamurthy’s autorickshaw. The bus subsequently veered towards the pavement and crashed into an electric pole.“Krishnamurthy sustained serious injuries and was shifted to nearby St Martha’s Hospital. However, he succumbed during treatment,” a senior traffic police officer said.During preliminary questioning, Ranganath reportedly told police the brakes had failed, causing him to lose control of the bus.However, traffic police said the driver’s claim will be subjected to technical examination. “Statements of eyewitnesses and preliminary inspection of the accident spot indicate the bus was moving at high speed and that the driver lost control after brushing against the four-wheeler. The driver’s claim that brakes failed will be verified by RTO officials, who will inspect the vehicle and submit a report,” a traffic police officer said.The bus (registration number KA-51-AJ-6648) is a Tata Smart Mobility electric bus attached to BMTC’s Shantinagar depot-3 and was operating between Kempegowda bus station and Chandapura.In a statement, BMTC said officials from Shantinagar depot-3 and its accident squad rushed to the spot soon after the accident and coordinated with traffic police and hospital authorities.
