Roadside parking, no crash barrier and parapet are reason
Shimla: In a tragic accident, three persons, including two students of the Convent of Jesus and Mary School, died and six others were injured as a HRTC bus fell into a deep gorge at Jhinjhari near Khalini in Shimla town today morning.
As per eyewitness several private vehicles were parked on one side of the road and the bus was going from the other side when it roll down from the road. There was neither any crash barrier nor parapet on the road side to avoid accident.
The bus driver, Naresh Thakur, died on the spot, while minor girls Manya and Sreeshthi, both aged 13 – succumbed to their injuries later on. Five other girl students and bus conductor are being treated at the Indira Gandhi Medical College and Hospital, where their condition is stable, senior medical superintendent stated.
Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur visited the hospital to enquire about the condition of the injured. Thakur said an inquiry would be conducted to find out the exact cause of the accident and steps would be taken to prevent such incidents.
Some agitated locals have damaged the parked vehicles by pelting stones at them. They alleged that the private vehicles are being parked illegally on the roadside thus risking the lives of the commuters. They also raised slogans against administration and demanded strict action against them.
Meanwhile, opposition Congress has demanded transport minister Govind Thakur resignation. Party state president blamed that the state government has failed to ensure commuters safety and accidents have become regular and innocent lives are becoming victims of lackluster attitude of the govt. the CPM also mourn the death of school children and driver of bus. CPM leader and Theog legislature Rakesh Singha stated that repeated accidents of school buses in different parts of the state has become a matter of deep concern and the state government cannot be exonerated of its responsibility of providing safe travel to the commuters. Singha claimed that the state government has failed to prevent repeated accidents in Himachal Pradesh and demanded to ascertain the real cause of accidents. He claimed that the major cause of accidents is bad conditions of roads, worn out vehicles having crossed seven lakhs kilometers mileage, failure to provide sufficient workshop staff to undertake timely maintenance and repair of vehicles, massive shortage of drivers and conductors leading to stress conditions of the available staff to carry out the operation of the regular bus route services.
Vehicles are being parked illegally on most of roads in the Shimla city and not only causing inconveniences to motorists, but are real reason behind regular traffic jams in the city. The administration has made mandatory to show legal parking before registering vehicle sin the city but with the convince of administration and parking owners vehicles are being registered regularly and on the very next day those vehicle can be seen parked on the roadside. Administration needs to take stringent action against violators otherwise such accident will take more innocent lives.
