Three killed, four injured as ‘jugad cart’ collides with a pickup van in Bathinda
BATHINDA: Less than a week after the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government in Punjab withdrew a ban on ‘jugad rehris’ (carts made up of old motorbikes or scooters), three persons were killed and four sustained injuries after an improvised passenger vehicle collided with a pick-up van in Bathinda district on Saturday.
The victims were identified as Rani Kaur (38), her father-inlaw Baggar Singh (60) and Paramjit Kaur (40). Leela Singh and Manpreet Kaur suffered multiple injuries.
Talwandi Sabo deputy superintendent of police (DSP) Jasmeet Sahiwal said the fatal mishap took place on Talwandi-Sardulgarh road in the afternoon.
DSP said the three died on the spot.
“Victims belonged to Jagaram Tirath village (in Talwandi subdivision) and they were travelling in the “jugad” cart driven by a motorcycle. Preliminary information says they all were farmworkers,” he added.
Eyewitness said the accident took place when the illegal improvised vehicle tried to avoid a collision with another vehicle coming from the opposite direction.
On April 18, a letter was issued by additional DGP (traffic) to the police authorities across the state directing them to launch a special drive against such carts fitted with motors or combined with the old and condemned motorbikes for transportation of goods citing that they could become a cause of accidents.
Following a backlash from the opposition parties for banning these improvised vehicles, chief minister Bhagwant Mann on April 24 withdrew the orders.
EYEWITNESS SAID THE ACCIDENT TOOK PLACE WHEN THE ILLEGAL IMPROVISED VEHICLE TRIED TO AVOID A COLLISION WITH ANOTHER VEHICLE COMING FROM THE OPPOSITE DIRECTION