Bus damaged after hitting two buffaloes

Surat: A BRTS bus was badly damaged after it ran into two buffaloes on the track on Udhna-Sachin BRTS route near Pandesara here on Friday.
For many it was a déjà vu. In 2014, a SpiceJet aircraft suffered major damages when a buffalo strayed on to the runway and hit it during the take-off.
The two buffaloes had strayed into the BRTS route at Pandesara.The BRTS bus, which had started from Udhna, had just crossed Pandesara stop when it hit the buffaloes head-on. The buffaloes were dragged for more than 80 feet by the speeding BRTS bus. The front portion of the bus was badly damaged, eyewitnesses said.
The BRTS service on the UP route from Udhna to Sachin was affected for three hours as the buffaloes could not move from the spot due to injuries. People gheraoed the bus driver at the spot for driving in a reckless manner.
A resident of Pandesara, Ravishanker Mishra, who was present at the spot, said, "The impact was huge when the bus hit the two buffaloes. The buffaloes were literally dragged for more than 80 feet. I wonder why the BRTS driver did not apply emergency brake on seeing the buffaloes."
Sources said Surat Municipal Corporation (SMC) had proposed to install swing gates at every intersections of the BRTS routes. A pilot project was also launched, but nothing has been done so far.
"The intersections on the BRTS routes are dangerous for commuters. These intersections should be protected with swing gates in order to prevent accidents. This will also prevent stray cattle and other animals from entering the route," said Ashok Jirawala, Congress councillor from Varachha.
Talking to the TOI, head of BRTS, Jatin Shah, said, "The entire stretch from Udhna to Sachin remains congested throughout the day. The buffaloes may have strayed into the BRTS route to avoid the traffic. We are inquiring into the incident."