Kerala govt to review bus staff duty hours after fatal Karnataka crash
Kerala Transport Minister CP John said on Saturday that the government would examine whether KSRTC employees were being made to work for long hours without
Kerala Transport Minister CP John said on Saturday that the government would examine whether KSRTC employees were being made to work for long hours without adequate rest after a Kerala State Road Transport Corporation bus met with an accident in Karnataka, killing its driver and conductor. The accident took place at Bidadi on the Bengaluru-Mysuru Expressway on Saturday morning. Fourteen passengers were injured. John said a post-crash inquiry would be completed within five days, and KSRTC would bear the full treatment cost of those injured. Read Full Story The two KSRTC employees who died were Arun NM and Midilesh K, the driver and conductor of the bus from Kozhikode.
Addressing a press conference, John said, "Whether they are being made to work for long hours without rest is a serious question." He said the Transport Commissioner would conduct a post-crash inquiry into the accident within five days. "Whenever any accident occurs, a post-crash inquiry is conducted. It is a Standard Operating Practice," John said. He also said he had been receiving information that bus employees were not getting sufficient rest. "I spoke to the KSRTC Managing Director. The issue of working hours and rest will also be reviewed in the next two or three days," he said. KERALA GOVT TO BEAR EXPENSES OF THE INJURED John thanked the Karnataka government for its support after the accident.
"I express my gratitude to the Karnataka government. The Transport Minister and Health Department of Karnataka intervened in our matter with the same diligence and care they would show for a bus from their own state," he said. He added that he had coordinated with the CMO and the office of AICC general secretary KC Venugopal, who had also intervened in the matter. "Their ministers called me directly. The post-mortem procedures and related formalities are currently underway there," John said. He said KSRTC would meet the full treatment expenses of all injured passengers. "If anyone gets any information or faces any difficulties, please inform my office or KSRTC directly.
We have been actively involved in all necessary arrangements right from 7 am today, immediately following the incident," he said. VD Satheesan said he had spoken to Karnataka Health Minister UT Khader and requested that the injured in the KSRTC bus accident be given the best possible treatment. Satheesan contacted Khader over the phone and sought details about the condition of those injured, the CMO said. Ends
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