Surat: At least 60 drivers of Sitilink city bus service went on a strike on Saturday and staged a dharna near Veer Narmad South Gujarat University (VNSGU), protesting against the arrest of a fellow bus driver. The driver had been arrested after his bus killed a woman in an accident.
The bus drivers were said that their colleague was being treated like a criminal. Bus services on a few routes was affected and the daily commuters had to search for alternative transport medium.
The driver was paraded in public at the spot of the accident by the police. City police are taking similar action against criminals arrested for serious offences. The drivers were opposing these actions and claimed that the arrested driver is not a habitual criminal.
“He was booked for hit and run, but he went to the police station with the bus directly. He did not run away, but due to the legal proceedings, the driver is not getting bail even after two days,” said a protesting driver.
Surat Municipal Corporation (SMC) fined the bus operating agency Rs 15 lakh for the fatal accident. “The bus operator has been fined, and SMC has issued orders in the past to take strict legal actions against bus drivers for their negligence. But in this case, the driver surrendered himself but he was booked for hit and run,” said an official in the transport department.
On Dec 3, 42-year-old Divya Soni was mowed down by a city bus in Adajan. Police arrested bus driver Lalji Nageshri and charged him with culpable homicide not amounting to murder and rash driving endangering human lives. During investigation, police found that the driver escaped from the spot but he was caught within a few hours.
In the past, multiple accidents involving city buses and BRTS buses were reported. SMC had ordered heavy fines and punitive actions against the drivers for negligent driving.
