30 passengers sustained injuries after a Metropolitan Transport Corporation bus rolled over and fell off the Gemini Flyover in Chennai on Wednesday. The bus was traveling from Broadway to Vadapalani. It was trying to follow a curve in the road when the driver reportedly lost control. There were no deaths from the accident.
After the bus turned over, pedestrians help rescue the trapped passengers by breaking through the windows and pulling people out. According to the Metropolitan Transport Corporation director, Prem Kumar, the driver was speeding as he tried to round the curve. He goes on to say that it was through no fault of the bus’ equipment that the bus overturned.
The driver of the bus suffered several fractures from the accident. A crane is still trying to get the bus upright causing a delay in traffic.
Workers for the Metropolitan Transport Council are saying that the bus driver is being framed. They state that the bus was faulty and it was through no fault of the driver that caused the accident. MTC officials are sticking by their original statement that the driver was speeding. On Thursday morning the bus was inspected thoroughly. Early reports indicate that the driver’s seat was lose and could have played a factor in the accident but when it was checked later seemed to be in working order. Preliminary reports allege that the seat collapsed which cause the driver to lose control as he rounded the curve.
Eyewitness reports state that the driver was indeed talking on his cell phone. Police will be looking at cell phone towers to see if the driver was talking on his cell phone at the time of the accident to verify these witness reports. If the driver is found to have caused the accident he will be suspended.
On Thursday, 500 members of the transport union protested outside the MTC headquarters because they felt the bus driver has been treated unfairly. They also state that the buses are not properly maintained. Traffic experts agree that roads, along with transportation equipment, should be inspected regularly and be kept in good condition.
The driver was arrested for negligent driving but was later released. The MTC is confident in the information they have obtained which points to driver error and not equipment error. The MTC maintains the fact that the bus was in good working condition at the time of the accident. The accident is still under investigation.