KURTC Low floor bus runs 29 km without two rear wheels
In a shocking incident, a KURTC Low floor bus ran 29 kms without two rear tyres and loosened bolts on Friday. The bus that conducted service from Cherthala depot to Vytila at 5.45 am had 38 passengers on board. Fortunately, a tragedy didn’t happen.
The driver came to know about the lack of two tyres when the bus reached Nettur. Before finishing the maintenance work, the driver took the bus from the garage. The garage workers became aware of the incident much later after taking the bus from garage. By the time when the driver was contacted from garage, the bus had travelled 29 kms. ( A passenger bus has four rear tyres ).
Video – Road Pulse.
The bus driver of Cherthala depot PS Baiju was suspended in connection with the incident said PK Ratnakaran, Assistant Transport Officer.
About KSRTC :-
KSRTC, the fond name for Kerala State Road Transport Corporation, connects the state well on road. As one of the oldest operated and managed public transports of India.
The history of Kerala State Road Transport Corporation began whilst the development of the transport industry it wasn’t booming enough like today. The Travancore State Transport Department (TSTD) was constituted by the erstwhile Travancore Government with a view to reorganize the transport service of the State.Mr E.G. Salter, Assistant, Operating Supdt of London Passenger Transport Board was appointed as Supdt on 20.9.1937.
The State Motor Service was inaugurated by His Highness Sree Chithirathirunal on 20.2.1938. His Highness and his kin were the first passengers of the inaugration trip and Mr. Salter was himself the driver to that bus. This bus along with the 33 other buses brought on road driving through the Kawdiar Square was seen to be a beautiful attraction.
60 comet chassis fitted with Perkins diesel Engines were imported from England and the staff had built the body under the supervision of Mr. Salter himself. The selection of operating staff remains as a model which has been followed by the present staff as well. Those who were likely to lose their jobs in the private sectors due to the nationalization of Thiruvanathapuram-Kanyakumari route were given preference for appointment in the new department. Nearly a hundred Bachelor degree holders were given appoinments as Inspectors and Conductors.
The first antique bus of Kerala was a saloon type bodied 23-seater of which the passenger entry door was at the rear end and it also possessed a first class enclosure. The time schedule, fares and bus stops were predetermined and published for the information of the public. Simultaneously a parcel service had also been started increasing the utility of the bus service with its unique features. By this service in that year the public could sent their important parcels through the special agents appointed by the government.
TTSD nurtured as a predominant bus service, with interstate connectivity on longer routes. There existed mainly three bus routes of which one was Thiruvanthapuram-Nagercoil, Nagercoil-Kanyakumari and the third, Nagercoil-Colachal. They were introduced on 21.2.1938 with 39 buses totally for all of the three bus routes as a whole.
