John Wilbert & Rabindranath Biswas
Kadamtala, Nov 01: In a miserably unfortunate accident on the ATR/NH4 on 28th Oct, a lady passenger who was siting on the seat No. 17 on a STS Bus suddenly slipped out of the running bus and sustained major injuries.
As per report, Mayabunder Express (STS) which was bound for Port Blair from Mayabunder while passing through Jarawa area Middle Straits suddenly veered, and as an impact of which the lady named Rita, a 42 years old resident of Biliground, and who was going to Port Blair from Billiground on the STS Bus on Friday morning sitting on a seat next to the front door of the bus, slipped out of the the speeding bus and got severely injured. She suffered injuries on her head and hands after she was violently thrown out of the door of the bus due to the sharp turn of the speeding bus. Reportedly the door of the bus was open. However, the lady narrowly escaped from being killed as there was a fleet of vehicles coming from behind. The lady was rushed to Baratang Hospital by the police personnel.
The police have registered a case in this regard, while Mr. Alagar Swamy, Ex-Up Adhyaksh of Zilla Parishad North and Middle Andaman, lashed out the STS Dept. and said that this incident happened only because of the gross negligence of the State Transport Service of A & N Islands; the Dept. is plying their buses on the ATR without conductors on board the buses for the last two years, it is really a matter of grave concern, Mr. Alagar further said. He also attributed the blame on the dilapidated condition of the ATR. He further said that, had there been a conductor on the bus, this unfortunate incident could have been averted, as a Conductor on board a passenger bus has tremendous roles to play at various stages.
While getting in and disembarking from the vehicle ferry boats, the conductors smoothly manage affairs which undeniably reduces the risks of accidents, Ex-Up Adhyaksh of Zilla Parishad pointed out. In absence of a conductor, an STS bus had hit an old
man at Baratang Jetty while reversing the bus during the last Panchayat election, alleged Mr. Alager Swami.
Mr. Alager Swami also urged the Administration to ply STS buses with Conductors to avert such accidents in future, the report further said.
