Bhubaneswar: The Capital Region Urban Transport (CRUT) said it has suspended the driver of diesel midi bus for negligence in connection with the series of accident at Ashok Nagar in Bhubaneswar that left four people injured.
In a statement, CRUT said that three vehicles, an electric bus (OD 33 41-I 0105), a diesel midi bus (OD 33 U 7110) and a car were involved in the accident that took place in the city on Thursday.
The incident occurred when a scooter rider unexpectedly swerved in front of the EV bus while it was in the middle lane, prompting the captain to apply sudden brakes, it said.
As a result, the midi bus collided with the rear of the EV bus. The subsequent impact caused another vehicle, the car crash into the rear of the midi bus.
The electric bus was travelling at a speed of 14 km/h at the time of the incident. The captain of the EV bus acted promptly to avoid a potential accident with the scooter rider, and there was only a 5-6 second gap before the collision involving the midi bus. The diesel bus behind the EV bus, travelling at a speed of 28 km/h, was unable to brake in time, leading to the collision, CRUT stated.
A thorough alcohol test of both captains was conducted at the Capital Police Station, and the result was found to be zero, indicating no alcohol consumption. It has been concluded after reviewing CCTV footage that the diesel bus captain should have been more cautious in maintaining a safe distance, as the sudden stoppage of the EV bus was not anticipated. The captain has been suspended for not keeping an adequate distance.
