MSRTC safety check after 3 accidents

NASHIK: Three safety lapses of state road transport buses within a span of month have forced the officials to conduct enquiry into the causes and plug the problems. One Maharashtra State Road Transport corporation (MSRTC) bus has run off the road and cabins of two other buses caught fire.
MSRTC officials said the driver was responsible for the bus running off the road as he had hit the guard stone, while electrical system failure was cause of the fires in the cabins.The inquiry has recommended action against the drivers and a safety check of all buses to plug any electrical problems.
The frequent mishaps have dealt a blow to the corporation's motto of safe transport of passengers. A Satana-Aurangabad bus cabin caught fire near Kannad village in November and another incident was reported on December 9 when the cabin of Nashik - Jalgaon bus was engulfed in flames at Wadalibhoi, near Pimpalgaon Baswant. None was injured in the incidents. The Lasalgaon - Rajderwadi bus fell to the roadside on December 16. Fifteen of the passengers were injured, four of them seriously in the accident.
"Earlier, it was reported that the cause of bus mishap was breakage of steering rod, but the enquiry has revealed that there was no such issue. We concluded that the driver had actually hit a guard stone that damaged its axle. This lead to the steering wheel coming off the socket and the bus turning side-ways. We have have ordered enquiry into the accident and proper action against the driver," divisional controller Yamini Joshi said.
In case of the other accidents, the divisional controller said orders have been given to respective depots to enquire into incidents and fix responsibilities. The officer said that incidents of fire have not been reported in the district for the past many years and hence, it was looked upon as just another incident in the beginning. But the second incident only brought out the seriousness of the problem.