Jagtial bus accident: Driver M Srinivas was given award

Hyderabad: Driver M. Srinivas, who lost his life in the accident, won a safety award on August 15 for his driving skills conferred by the Telangana State Road Transport Corporation (TSRTC). He was a senior driver with more than 30 years of experience. Highly placed sources mentioned that the driver asked for leave as he was unwell, but could not get it.

The suspended Jagtial depot manager, Hanumantha Rao, also received an award on the same day.  According to official data, the Pallevelugu bus which belongs to Jagtial is a 2007 model and has run for 14,95,116 km while on an average, a bus should run for a maximum of 12 lakh km and the maximum duration is only 11 years.