A Delhi court has directed the Delhi transport ministry to ensure that drivers of Delhi Transport Corporation (DTC) buses drive properly. The direction comes in the wake of an incident where a man lost his left leg due to rash and negligent driving by a DTC bus driver. The victim was trying to board the bus when he fell and his leg was crushed under the bus’ tire. The court granted compensation of INR 51 lakh to the victim and ordered United India Insurance to pay the compensation.
The MACT judge, while passing the direction, said that DTC drivers should stop the bus at the bus stand and not keep any door or gate open while driving. The gates of the bus should open only when the bus stops at the bus stand so that the public can board the bus. The judge also ordered the Ministry of Road Transport to ensure that DTC drivers drive buses in a proper manner. DTC is a public transport system and the public has the right to travel safely in it.
The victim, Sudarshan Pradhan, a worker in a private firm, was 39 years old when he met with the accident on October 16, 2020. He was working as a peon in an IAS academy. He filed a petition against the bus driver, DTC, and United India Insurance Company seeking compensation.
The driver and DTC in their joint written statement stated that the accident was caused due to the rash and negligence of the petitioner himself as he was trying to board a moving bus and there was no designated bus stop or zebra crossing at the site of the accident. The insurance company also claimed that the injured was under the influence of alcohol at the time of boarding the bus and therefore the company has no liability to pay any compensation to the petitioner.
This incident highlights the importance of ensuring that public transport drivers drive responsibly and follow traffic rules to avoid such accidents. The court’s direction to the transport ministry and DTC should serve as a reminder to the authorities to take appropriate measures to ensure public safety.
