LUCKNOW: Three days after the Yamuna Expressway bus tragedy claimed 29 lives, the UP transport department has come up with a series of precautionary measures, including teaching long-haul drivers Vajrasana, a yoga exercise, to overcome fatigue.
Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, too, issued a long list of directives to the surface transport department, including ensuring medical checkup of drivers, breath analyser tests before and after journeys. The CM also asked the transport officers to ensure implementation of IIT Delhi’s recommendations on road safety.
Sending across a stern message, the CM said that the officers concerned cannot shift the blame of mishaps on drivers. He instructed them to depute two drivers for a 400-km journey or more. The CM was presiding over a special meeting on road safety on Thursday.
According to UP Transport Minister Swatantra Deo Singh, apart from other corrective and precautionary measures, the drivers would be instructed to take at least half-an-hour break at roadside eateries and perform ‘Vajrasana’ to relax. “It will beat fatigue and exhaustion — a major reasons behind accidents,” said the minister.
Yogi also told the minister and officials concerned that no slackness will be tolerated as human life is precious, he also took the JP Infratek representatives to the task. “You can’t ignore the security concerns... If you are collecting toll fee, proper security and safety arrangements of passengers is also your responsibility,” CM said.