HC issues directions on maintaining transport corpn buses, rules to scrap old vehicles
Bengaluru (PTI): The High Court of Karnataka has ordered that high-mileage government transport corporation buses should be scrapped for the safety of passengers and road users.
The order came on a petition filed by a Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC) driver who was convicted for culpable homicide after the bus he was driving caused an accident in which two school-going children were killed.
Noticing that the bus that was involved in the accident had run for over 10 lakh kilometres and was not in good condition, the HC issued six directions on maintaining KSRTC buses including framing of rules to scrap old vehicles.
”In this case, the said offending bus had already run more than 10,00,000 km and the vehicle was not having ignition starter, horn and brakes. The passengers, who were travelling in the said bus were compelled to push the said bus to get it started. The condition of the bus which is brought on record is quite alarming,” the HC noted.
Directing KSRTC to provide better quality buses, Justice Ramachandra D Huddar said, ”As per the rules framed by the KSRTC on completion of particular running of kilometres and such buses are bound to be scrapped and such scrapped buses should not be permitted to be used for any scheduled routes either to the cities or to villages.” The other guidelines issued by the HC include that the mechanical department of the KSRTC should certify every bus is ”fit for road”, and only such buses with the certificate should be permitted to ply on roads.
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Every year, the KSRTC authorities should obtain a certificate from the RTO concerned for all the buses and only such vehicles should be allowed to ply the roads. The HC also directed that ”There shall be periodical mechanical examination and repair of the buses.” The court had questioned the public relations officer who had stated that the North Western Karnataka Road Transport Corporation (NWKRTC) operates 2,300 buses which have run more than nine lakh km.
”When such a large number of people are commuting every day by buses maintained by the corporation, it is the duty of KSRTC to ensure better quality of buses to ply on the road keeping in mind the safety of the passengers who travel in KSRTC buses and also the users of the road to avoid any casualties,” the HC said.
The petitioner, Satish, was driving a KSRTC bus in Ankola on KC Road when the accident took place.
Three children, Dhananjaya (13), his brother Mrityunjaya (12) and friend Abhilash Maruti Gaonkar (12) were returning home when the bus hit them from behind.
Mrityunjaya and Abhilash died in the accident. Satish was put on trial and found guilty for culpable homicide, causing grievous hurt and rash and negligent driving. He was sentenced to undergo imprisonment for one year for culpable homicide and rash and negligent driving and two months imprisonment for causing hurt.
The Sessions Court upheld this conviction which he challenged in the HC.
The HC while upholding the conviction, modified the sentence from one year imprisonment to six months imprisonment. The HC said that the driver was negligent and he should have refused to drive a vehicle that was not in a fit condition.
”When the accused was having knowledge of the condition of the bus, the accused could have refused to take the said bus on a public road on a specified route as observed by the Trial Court. With regard to the threat by the superior officer of the accused that the accused would lose his job, the accused has to see the safety of the road users as well as inmates of the bus. But he has not thought of the same and has taken risks,” it said.
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Another North Goa nightclub sealed; Kejriwal says corruption led to fire tragedy
Panaji (PTI): As part of a crackdown against tourist establishments violating laws and safety norms in the aftermath of the Arpora fire tragedy, Goa authorities on Saturday sealed a renowned club at Vagator and revoked the fire department NOC of another club.
Cafe CO2 Goa, located on a cliff overlooking the Arabian Sea at Vagator beach in North Goa, was sealed. The move came two days after Goya Club, also in Vagator, was shut down for alleged violations of rules.
Elsewhere, campaigning for local body polls, AAP leader Arvind Kejriwal said the fire incident at Birch by Romeo Lane nightclub at Arpora, which claimed 25 lives on December 6, happened because the BJP government in the state was corrupt.
An inspection of Cafe CO2 Goa by a state government-appointed team revealed that the establishment, with a seating capacity of 250, did not possess a no-objection certificate (NOC) of the Fire and Emergency Services Department. The club, which sits atop Ozrant Cliff, also did not have structural stability, the team found.
The Fire and Emergency Services on Saturday also revoked the NOC issued to Diaz Pool Club and Bar at Anjuna as the fire extinguishers installed in the establishment were found to be inadequate, said divisional fire officer Shripad Gawas.
A notice was issued to Nitin Wadhwa, the partner of the club, he said in the order.
Campaigning at Chimbel village near Panaji in support of his party's Zilla Panchayat election candidate, Aam Aadmi Party leader Kejriwal said the nightclub fire at Arpora happened because of the "corruption of the Pramod Sawant-led state government."
"Why this fire incident happened? I read in the newspapers that the nightclub had no occupancy certificate, no building licence, no excise licence, no construction licence or trade licence. The entire club was illegal but still it was going on," he said.
"How could it go on? Couldn't Pramod Sawant or anyone else see it? I was told that hafta (bribe) was being paid," the former Delhi chief minister said.
A person can not work without bribing officials in the coastal state, Kejriwal said, alleging that officers, MLAs and even ministers are accepting bribes.
