Ggm driver dies in school bus-truck collision; 15 students escape unhurt
GURUGRAM: A 40-year-old school bus driver died and at least 15 students escaped unhurt after their speeding school bus rammed a stationary tractor on Sohna Road on Monday morning. The front portion of the bus was damaged, police said.
Police said the driver, identified as Ram Hari Dixit from UP’s Hardoi, was severely injured and taken to a private hospital, where he succumbed in a few hours of treatment. Dixit was ferrying students from Sohna to GD Goenka World School when the incident took place at 8.15am.
Umesh Kumar, SHO of Sohna City police station, said that they received information about the accident within a few minutes and sent a team to the spot. “The driver was injured and was immediately taken to a hospital while the students were shifted to another vehicle. The younger students were traumatised and wanted to return home,” he said.
A case was registered against the tractor driver under relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) at Sohna City police station based on a complaint by Rahul (identified by his first name), the helper of the bus, who said that there were at least 15 students and 15 staff members on the bus when the incident took place. “The tractor driver had parked the vehicle on the road leading to the accident,” he said.
However, police said a preliminary probe revealed that the bus driver was speeding, lost control of the vehicle and rammed the stationary tractor parked near GD Goenka University. The bus belonged to the school.
One of the school officials who reached the spot after the accident said all students who were on the bus were unhurt. “The driver was severely injured and died later. The students are safe. We are looking into the matter,” he said on condition of anonymity. Police said they are now verifying the facts. Despite several attempts, school authorities did not respond to calls and messages seeking comment.
The incident has raised questions regarding the safety and security of school transport services. This is the fourth incident this year wherein a school bus was involved in an accident. On April 18, a private school van ran over a four-year-old student after he alighted the vehicle near his residence in Shikohpur village at Manesar, said police.
The district administration said that schools’ transport facilities are under the scanner and they have formed four teams to check whether school buses ferrying students are following the norms listed under the Surakshit School Vahan Policy.
Deputy commissioner of Gurugram Nishant Kumar Yadav said, “Teams are conducting extensive inspection drives across the city to check whether children are travelling safely in school buses and if the drivers are following all guidelines. We will also check the speed governors installed in the buses.”