No brakes on fatal racing, buses biggest killer

KOLKATA: Total selection of street coincidence victims: 329. Killed by way of buses: 86.
The selection of deadly street injuries in Kolkata has come down, however buses nonetheless remain the biggest killer on town roads. Trucks ran shut at the heels — 74 other folks have been killed by way of them in 2017. According to a not too long ago launched survey by way of Kolkata Traffic Police, buses also motive the easiest selection of serious injuries that go away most of the victims maimed for the rest of their lives.



The survey unearths that private buses, which function the backbone of town’s commuting gadget, kill the utmost selection of other folks. Out of 86 deaths by way of buses, the share of private buses was as high as 60. Nine other folks have been killed by way of state buses. And this is what worries the cops — racing for additonal passengers to maximise the day’s earning by way of bus crews. Private buses are the 3rd largest culprit in rash driving instances. There have been 12,553 rash driving instances by way of them in 2017, 3rd largest chew after two-wheelers (29,507) and private cars (21,352).

Private bus staff — drivers and conductors — work on a day by day salary that involves them in the type of fee. “The motive force gets 14% and conductor 9% of general profits of a day,” mentioned Tapan Bandyopadhyay, general secretary of Joint Council of Bus Syndicates. “But right here lies the issue. Since the earning is a share of the overall profits, the team individuals always race with other buses to select up extra passengers,” mentioned a senior site visitors police officer. But the state bus team individuals don’t have to worry about commissions and, consequently, there were handiest 85 rash driving instances towards them.


This is why the transport minister, Suvendu Adhikari, wanted to get rid of fee gadget. Adhikari introduced your complete shift from fee to wage gadget in June remaining yr, and there was sturdy opposition from the bus operators. The operators apprehended that if the wage is fixed, there will likely be huge dip in profits, for the reason that drivers and conductors will lose interest in selecting up passengers. But Adhikari mentioned except for for Kolkata and Howrah, buses in other districts run on wage gadget.


However, realising that a surprising exchange in the gadget may motive primary disruption, he followed a go-slow policy. Buses, thus, keep racing towards every other, to select up extra passengers. Another big reason behind the racing is overlapping of routes. There is hardly any path in the town that doesn't overlap with any other path. This has made the competition extra fierce.


“More than converting over to the wage gadget, what can make private bus operation more fit is path clarification. The moment you divide the path and fleet power at the foundation of real-time passenger call for, the competition will likely be less competitive and bus operation extra viable. In state transport undertakings like WBTC, a basic path clarification helped it earn greater income. But that may be a mammoth activity which govt officers don’t wish to get entangled into,” mentioned transport economist Anirudhha Mukherjee.


No brakes on fatal racing, buses biggest killer No brakes on fatal racing, buses biggest killer Reviewed by Kailash on February 25, 2019 Rating: 5
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