BMTC aims to train, sensitise its drivers on traffic rules
BENGALURU: After paying a hefty fine of Rs 33 lakh for traffic violations after availing of the 50-per cent discount extended by the traffic police department, Bangalore Metropolitan Transport Corporation (BMTC) is giving importance to training its drivers and sensitising them to abide by the rules.
According to BMTC officials, a major chunk of the fines were for jumping signals, followed by wrong parking. Training sessions on safe driving are also being given to drivers involved in road accidents.
Sources from the BMTC admitted that the drivers who are on the road most of the time, need some lessons regularly. A BMTC bus driver said: “As the traffic conditions in Bengaluru have worsened over the years, we are struggling to ply as per schedule. We are given a specific time to finish our trips. So in a hurry, drivers would have jumped signals.”
He added that not every BMTC bus driver jumps signals and breaks traffic rules deliberately, but admitted that they need to be sensitised on traffic rules as there are chances of them threatening the lives of others on the road while violating the rule.
BMTC MD Sathyavathi said that training of the bus drivers is an ongoing process and it is taken up throughout the year.
“We are doing training for our drivers in batches. We train them on safe driving. Recently, 182 drivers who were involved in accidents were trained” she said. She added that the drivers will also be sensitised to follow traffic rules as a major part of the fines paid to the traffic police was pertaining to signal jumping. Sources from the BMTC maintained that the fines paid by the bus corporation were recovered from the drivers who jumped signals so that there will be a fear factor also for the drivers to abide by traffic rules.