APSRTC driver assaulted after minor altercation

Tirupati: Another case of assault on an Andhra Pradesh State Road Transport Corporation (APSRTC) driver has come to light in AP, this time in Chittoor district, highlighting the vulnerabilities faced by public transport workers in the state.

In the incident on Friday at Pachikapallam village of Vedurukuppam mandal in Chittoor district, a group of men beat up in full public view 40-year-old Eswar, an on-call RTC driver.

According to Tirupati depot manager T. Balaji, Eswar had been driving an APSRTC bus with 44 passengers from Pachikapallam to Pallipattu. The trouble began when a private car coming from the opposite direction refused to give way to the bus on a narrow single-lane road stretch, leading to a heated argument between the two drivers.

"With an electric pole and ditch on the left, the bus driver had no space. He requested the car driver to move his vehicle, but the latter refused. Facing difficulty due to the limited space, the bus driver disembarked and requested the car driver to make way, so that both vehicles could move to their destinations.

However, the car driver picked up a heated argument and the car driver refused to yield. Subsequently, the bus driver managed to cross over with great difficulty.

However, the private car driver later returned with a group of friends and forced the bus to a stop while it was proceeding to Pallipattu. The group dragged Eswar out and assaulted him violently. Helpless, the battered driver returned to Tirupati depot and reported the matter to Balaji, who dispatched his staff to lodge a police complaint.

"We are filing a case based on a video of the attack circulating online. Strict legal action must be taken against those who assaulted an on-duty driver," the depot manager underlined.

APSRTC management has been facing criticism in recent times that it is not bothered about the frequent attacks targeting its drivers and conductors across the state.

Just a week ago, an RTC bus driver in Vasili of Nellore district was assaulted by passengers when he declined to permit additional passengers onto an already overcrowded bus. A few weeks prior to this in Kavali, a driver was attacked for honking.

RTC unions are calling on authorities to enhance security and curb such unwarranted assaults on bus employees carrying out their duties.