Thiruvananthapuram: In yet another safety glitch, a KSRTC bus caught fire at LMS junction on Thursday. Smoke billowed out from near the driver’s cabin when the bus from Kulathoor to the city passed the LMS junction just after 8.30am. Based on the distress calls, fire and rescue officials rushed to the spot and doused the fire. Around two dozen passengers ran out and escaped the fire. The engine portion and the front of the bus was gutted, said fire and rescue officials. KSRTC officials who are probing, suspect that the fire would have started from the fuse carriers.
“The newer buses may not have such a mishap as they come with a cut off system in the event of a short circuit. However, around 2200 of our buses are quite old and a fire outbreak can happen in any of these,” an official said adding that poor wiring was also a problem. Frequent brake failures and wheel separations have been reported in moving KSRTC local buses.
During March this year, a bus with around 24 passengers had a miraculous escape after its brakes failed at Pallipuram. Earlier in September, 2015, an army man was injured in a double-decker tyre burst at Airport Road. There have been at least two instances of wheels coming out of KSRTC buses in the district since February 2014. “In depots other than Thampanoor, the main mechanics often take a break leaving the buses to apprentices. This had caused issues like tyre separation,” said an activist pointing out indiscipline in the maintenance wing.
