Do college bus (especially those of Satyabama Group of colleges) drivers of Chennai think that they are competing in formula bus race? Ok boss, where is the race track? Their “race track� is the Chennai-Bangalore NH 4 and the Old Mahabalipuram road. Both these roads have heavy traffic owing to the trucks, gateway to other places, educational institutions, etc.
Gruelling Accident
Last Saturday, a lecturer Mrs. Mohanasundari from Satyambama died while travelling to the college. When the driver applied brake suddenly, after seeing a MTC bus coming from the right side of the road, lost control of the vehicle and unfortunately the lecturer had fall from the seat, got under the bus tyres and was crushed to death. She was planning to study PhD in Mathematics.
Her father said: � She left the house at 6:30 am and died by 7:20am�. The driver was arrested.
I personally don’t think that their must be any mistake on the part of the MTC driver as these drivers think they are the Lord of The Roads. I know how they drive as I myself am graduated from one of their associate college.
Formula Bus?
Having gone to my college for 4 years by my college bus, I know how they drive. Till we reach the NH-4, they drive slow (or shall I say that they are forced so?) and then it’s a formula bus race, with 68 students & lectures on board!
What makes them drive fast? I would say ego clash with their colleagues and others who have to fight for space with them. They want to prove a point (at what cost?). But honestly I used to enjoy travelling by our college bus, for the very same reason which I loathe here.
Ideal conditions for speeding:
Newspapers have reported that these buses are in poor conditions, but as far as I know about our college, then only 15% of the buses were second hands, but now they have stopped buying old ones. The buses are in excellent conditions with
- power brakes
- power steering
- dual sound horns
- Buses are “tuned� to have faster pickup and top speed
- no overload, not more than 70 ppl are on board.
All this add to these drivers to speed.
In my 4 years, we have met with accidents (all minor) like hitting a bullock cart (!), damaging a rear window of “L� board Car, bending a bicycle’s wheel and even Hit and run!!
In most of the above incidents, the drivers went Scott free. Sometimes they give their ID cards and say: “This is Jeppiar’s bus� and escape without a warning or action.
This incident will now make sure that they drive with “care� and make them come to ground reality that they drive in Chennai’s roads and not Monto Carlo.
November 23, 2005 at 11:29 pm
College bus drivers are same everywhere. Even the drivers in SRM where I studied, it’s all a like rally race every morning and evening. They just can’t get enough.
And, sad to say, an srm bus had run over a lady when I was studying too. Most other (countless) accidents are minor.
But I have to admit, I always admired my bus driver’s expertise at tailgating lorries, whether at super speeds in highways or at snail speeds in traffic jams.
November 24, 2005 at 2:09 am
I doubt if SRM buses have power steering in their buses… anyways coming to the point, these drivers have no urgency and even the college management dont “pick up” the driver. They have no pressure to speed.
Yeah.. even I used to enjoy our driver’s skills being displayed in Chennai-Bangalore NH-4. We students sometime motivate our drivers and say: “Pulli polla varuma?”
We cause mayhem and a force to reckon with when we have college Day or Deepavali or Christmas day celebrations!!
Yeah.. I did enjoy my 4 years of college “bus” life.