Tamil Nadu   

Court pulls up government bus driver

MADURAI: It is the duty of a government bus driver to give way to other motorists on the road, slow down the vehicle while taking a turn and drive responsibly without endangering the safety of others, the Madras High Court has said.

Allowing two civil appeals filed in the Madurai Bench, Justice M. Venugopal said: “It is not sufficient for the driver to try to be careful while driving; he should further anticipate the common folly of others, which he knows by experience would occur.”

The appeals were filed by the parents of two youngsters who died after being knocked down from their motorcycle by a government bus at Nagercoil in 2002. The appellants challenged an order passed by the Motor Accident Claims Tribunal, which held that their children, too, were 25 per cent responsible for the accident. Holding that the tribunal’s view was incorrect, Mr. Justice Venugopal said the accident had occurred owing to rash and negligent driving by the bus driver, who was squarely responsible for the death of the youths. The judge pointed to an eyewitness account to support his conclusion.

The eyewitness, who was also the complainant, had said the accident occurred in the afternoon when the bus driven in a rash and negligent manner knocked down the youths while negotiating a turn and dragged their motorcycle for nearly 20 feet before coming to a halt.

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