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Cops to private bus staff: Mend your ways, else face action

MANGALURU: Sanjeev M Patil, DCP (Crime and Traffic), Mangaluru, said that it is high time that private bus operators and their staff change their behaviour towards passengers lest the police would come down on them heavily. .

 Presenting a data on various types of offences and loss of lives due to negligent and reckless driving and rude behaviour of private bus drivers and conductors in Dakshina Kannada, Patil, said majority of the complaints received during the Friday phone-in programmes conducted by the city police commissionerate are related to traffic. .

 He was speaking at the two-day sensitization and training programme organized for bus drivers and conductors of private buses here on Wednesday. .

 "About 14% of 500 complaints related to traffic received during the phone-in programmes were related to private buses. The training programme has been organized to sensitize the drivers and conductors on what opinion public have about them and correct their behaviour."

He said: "If anyone wants to know how the drivers and conductors on road behave on roads, one must travel between Udupi and Kuloor stretch. Mangaluru North traffic police alone have registered 314 cases of negligent driving against the private bus drivers in 2016 and this year, already 114 cases have been booked. As many as 78 pedestrians were killed in Udupi -Kuloor stretch in 2016.

 The other problem is use of shrill horns. In 2015, 325 cases were registered and over the year it has increased by four fold. Till date this year, around 200 cases have been registered. "We understand that you have to maintain bus timings and it’s a stress. However, one must not put the life of passengers, pedestrians and other road users at risk. Private buses have been popularised by the people and their interest needs to be respected," he stressed.

 Other complaints against the bus drivers and conductors include: Use of mobiles while driving, use of shrill horns, stopping buses in the middle of the road and jumping signals. "If you work systematically, things will be normal. You must not forget that majority of the people depend on private buses and it is your duty to ensure their safety.," he said.

 He added that from next week onwards, Mangaluru City traffic police along with RTO officials will conduct a drive in Hampankatta to check licenses of all buses.