Orissa High Court Mandates Breath Analyser Tests for Mo Bus Drivers to Reduce Accidents | Bhubaneswar News
Cuttack: Orissa high court has directed Capital Region Urban Transport (Crut) to immediately start routine breath analyser tests to curb reckless driving by Mo Bus drivers in Cuttack. The directive follows an accident in which a 60-year-old woman was run over by a Mo Bus at Cuttack Netaji Bus Terminal on Oct 29.
Currently, 94 Mo Buses are operating on 21 routes in the city. This year, 200 minor and major accidents involving Mo Buses have been reported so far.
The special bench, constituted to address suo motu PILs on civic issues in Cuttack, issued the directive on Thursday, after expressing dissatisfaction with the steps taken by Crut to monitor the condition of bus drivers.
Crut managing director N Thirumala Naik, who appeared via virtual mode, filed an action taken report regarding measures implemented to sensitise Mo Bus drivers against reckless driving. However, he failed to confirm whether breath alcohol analyser tests were being conducted regularly, both at the starting point and during the journey.
Accordingly, the bench of Justices Sangam Kumar Sahoo and V Narasingh said, “We direct that every day from the day after tomorrow (Saturday), there shall be a breath analyser test for each of the drivers of ‘Mo Bus’ operating in Cuttack city to detect alcohol consumption, not only at the starting point but also randomly on the way.”
“The records of such tests conducted shall be uploaded on the Crut portal and presented before this court on the next date (Dec 5),” the bench added.
“Since there are two types of Mo Buses operating in Cuttack city, let the Crut authorities take immediate steps to ensure that smaller buses run inside the town and larger buses on the ring road,” the bench directed. It further said, “The drivers should not be asked to work for more than 8 hours a day under any circumstances, which is likely to reduce the rate of accidents.”
HC expected Crut to install cameras in the buses to monitor reckless driving, use sensors to detect whether the drivers are intoxicated, and if anything is noticed in the control room from the drivers’ pupil movement, necessary instructions should be passed immediately.
The bench also directed Crut authorities to issue instructions to the drivers and conductors to stop the buses only at designated places, as stopping them indiscriminately is creating traffic congestion.
Currently, 94 Mo Buses are operating on 21 routes in the city. This year, 200 minor and major accidents involving Mo Buses have been reported so far.
The special bench, constituted to address suo motu PILs on civic issues in Cuttack, issued the directive on Thursday, after expressing dissatisfaction with the steps taken by Crut to monitor the condition of bus drivers.
Crut managing director N Thirumala Naik, who appeared via virtual mode, filed an action taken report regarding measures implemented to sensitise Mo Bus drivers against reckless driving. However, he failed to confirm whether breath alcohol analyser tests were being conducted regularly, both at the starting point and during the journey.
Accordingly, the bench of Justices Sangam Kumar Sahoo and V Narasingh said, “We direct that every day from the day after tomorrow (Saturday), there shall be a breath analyser test for each of the drivers of ‘Mo Bus’ operating in Cuttack city to detect alcohol consumption, not only at the starting point but also randomly on the way.”
“The records of such tests conducted shall be uploaded on the Crut portal and presented before this court on the next date (Dec 5),” the bench added.
“Since there are two types of Mo Buses operating in Cuttack city, let the Crut authorities take immediate steps to ensure that smaller buses run inside the town and larger buses on the ring road,” the bench directed. It further said, “The drivers should not be asked to work for more than 8 hours a day under any circumstances, which is likely to reduce the rate of accidents.”
HC expected Crut to install cameras in the buses to monitor reckless driving, use sensors to detect whether the drivers are intoxicated, and if anything is noticed in the control room from the drivers’ pupil movement, necessary instructions should be passed immediately.
The bench also directed Crut authorities to issue instructions to the drivers and conductors to stop the buses only at designated places, as stopping them indiscriminately is creating traffic congestion.
