Traffic cops blame private drivers for PMPML fatalities

Say inexperienced drivers hired by private operators who run PMPML buses are responsible for fatal accidents

Pune traffic police say inexperienced drivers hired by eight private operators who run 421 Pune Mahanagar Parivahan Mahamandal Ltd (PMPML) buses are responsible for most of the fatal road accidents that have occurred this year.

Four such accidents involving PMPML buses, including one that claimed the life of six-year-old Yash Waghmare on September 5, have occurred in the last 30 days alone.

Cops speak
Manoj Patil, deputy commissioner of police (Taffic), said "In the last one month, two fatal accidents occured by drivers hired by private operators. We are planning to hold awareness sessions for PMPML drivers to make them adopt more responsible driving practices."

However, PMPML Joint Executive Director Satish Kulkarni said that the PMPML conducts extensive training programme for drivers of private buses. "We have already begun the training but 140 drivers employed by private contractors are yet to be trained. Problems occur when private operators change their drivers frequently," Kulkarni explained.

Lack of training
Anil Malusare of Prasanna Travels, a private contractor hired by PMPML, admitted that Ramdas Sopan Agarkar, the driver who allegedly ran Yash Waghmare on September 5 over and works for Prasanna Travels, had not been given a driving test by the PMPML. However, he said, "Agarkar used to work with PMPML earlier. It is therefore improper to say that private contractors are hiring inexperienced
drivers."