Buses In Odisha Never Say No To Overloading!

Bhubaneswar: The horrific bus mishap in Angul district in which at least 19 people were killed on Friday seems to have no impact on the passengers and bus operators in the state.

Throwing caution to the winds, a number of buses were seen carrying passengers on rooftops, particularly in rural areas. Passengers travel dangerously in overloaded buses plying in many parts of the state.

Though many passengers go on the bus roof, transport officials and local police have remained mute spectators to the risky rides. Even several buses do not have fitness certificates, said sources.

School and college students also take these buses, making them even more crowded.

“A meeting of the bus owners is scheduled to be held on Monday. We would give emphasis on avoiding over-speeding and over-sitting. Besides, a decision would be taken to ban drunk driving and talking on mobile phones while driving”, said Transport Commissioner Chandrasekhar Kumar.

There have been several instances of mishaps owing to overloaded buses. However, the transport department and police are yet to launch a drive to scrutinize the fitness certificates and documents of these vehicles.