6 died in last 8 mnths in Mo Bus accidents: Min | Bhubaneswar News
Bhubaneswar: At least 16 people died, including 6 in the last eight months, in accidents caused by Mo Buses in Bhubaneswar and Cuttack since the services were launched in 2019, housing and urban development minister Krushna Chandra Mahapatra informed the state assembly recently.
Responding to a query by BJD MLA Ananta Narayan Jena, Mahapatra said in Bhubaneswar and nearby areas, Capital Region Urban Transport (Crut) operates 375 Mo Buses and 16 people died in accidents caused by the vehicles. He added that a total compensation of Rs 2.94 crore has been provided to the next of kin of the deceased by the govt so far.
He further said that to prevent accidents, speed governors have been fitted to the buses now.
“Speed limit of electric buses is limited to 35 km per hour, while for diesel buses, it is 40 kmph. There are 16 buses that run on national highways and their speed limit is 50 kmph,” the minister added.
Responding to a separate query by Congress MLA Sofia Firdous, the minister stated that 19 accidents, out of which six were fatal, have been reported from June 2024 till date.
“Speed governors have been installed in each and every bus, along with fire extinguishers, cameras, emergency exits and first aid kit, among others, as part of the safety mechanism in the Mo Buses,” the minister replied.
On measures taken to assess and improve drivers’ skill, Mahapatra said they are sent on a regular basis to training institutes of the State Transport Authority.
“To control and assess bus captains against drunk driving, surprise breath analyser tests are being conducted twice a day since Nov 2024. Checks are being done to ensure bus captains follow proper traffic rules and pick up passengers at designated stoppages,” the reply read.
He also stated that an advanced driver assistance system is being implemented in the buses operated by Crut to control accidents. “Eight captains have been terminated after being found responsible for accidents,” Mahapatra said.
Responding to a query by BJD MLA Ananta Narayan Jena, Mahapatra said in Bhubaneswar and nearby areas, Capital Region Urban Transport (Crut) operates 375 Mo Buses and 16 people died in accidents caused by the vehicles. He added that a total compensation of Rs 2.94 crore has been provided to the next of kin of the deceased by the govt so far.
He further said that to prevent accidents, speed governors have been fitted to the buses now.
“Speed limit of electric buses is limited to 35 km per hour, while for diesel buses, it is 40 kmph. There are 16 buses that run on national highways and their speed limit is 50 kmph,” the minister added.
Responding to a separate query by Congress MLA Sofia Firdous, the minister stated that 19 accidents, out of which six were fatal, have been reported from June 2024 till date.
“Speed governors have been installed in each and every bus, along with fire extinguishers, cameras, emergency exits and first aid kit, among others, as part of the safety mechanism in the Mo Buses,” the minister replied.
On measures taken to assess and improve drivers’ skill, Mahapatra said they are sent on a regular basis to training institutes of the State Transport Authority.
“To control and assess bus captains against drunk driving, surprise breath analyser tests are being conducted twice a day since Nov 2024. Checks are being done to ensure bus captains follow proper traffic rules and pick up passengers at designated stoppages,” the reply read.
He also stated that an advanced driver assistance system is being implemented in the buses operated by Crut to control accidents. “Eight captains have been terminated after being found responsible for accidents,” Mahapatra said.
