[Tejas Ingle]

Originally Posted by speedsatya

Seat Belts ! Seat Belts ! Seat belts !!

All the injuries and deaths in the bus were due to lack of seat-belts. One person was flung outside the bus from a broken window and came under the same bus. All the injuries are due to the same reason. All the windows of the bus on its left were broken and the bus was dragged on the road for about 50m.
The MB technician who was present at the site informed that the speed of this bus was locked to about 100kmph a few days ago. The accident happened at the same speed.
I have travelled in Volvos and MB's but have never seen seat-belts. Do they come as standard or optional?

[akshay4587]

Spotted this early morning at 6am,at sector 35-43 roundabout in chandigarh.
To me it looks like a case of drunken and rash driving.

[vina]

Originally Posted by esteem_lover

As much as I feel sad for the people who died or got injured in that bus, I cannot stop asking myself why do these private volvos/MBs drive rash. With power comes responsibility, someone should have taught them that.

Except for Peter Parker, nobody in the world believes the maxim.

Coming specifically to the drivers - the owners pressure them, the city authorities pressure them (by restricting the hours buses can ply) and MOST IMPORTANTLY the passengers pressure them - most people I know who travel by bus make their decision in good measure on how little time a particular service takes.

[dhanushs]

Originally Posted by Thad E Ginathom

Bus drivers have the same responsibilities. Somehow, they are not aware or do not care, and there is no enforcement.

The thing is they are not paid enough. You know, when you pay peanuts, you get monkeys.

[speedmiester]

Originally Posted by akshay4587

Spotted this early morning at 6am,at sector 35-43 roundabout in chandigarh.
To me it looks like a case of drunken and rash driving.

Great parking there, looks like the car is taking a leak.

[autoenthusiast]

Originally Posted by Tejas Ingle

All the injuries and deaths in the bus were due to lack of seat-belts. One person was flung outside the bus from a broken window and came under the same bus. All the injuries are due to the same reason. All the windows of the bus on its left were broken and the bus was dragged on the road for about 50m.
The MB technician who was present at the site informed that the speed of this bus was locked to about 100kmph a few days ago. The accident happened at the same speed.
I have travelled in Volvos and MB's but have never seen seat-belts. Do they come as standard or optional?

Does anyone know if this specific bus had seatbelts ? If so then it's sad the passengers didn't use them.

If the seatbelts were an optional accessory with extra charges then I doubt the bus owner would have ever paid for them.

[LPT2625]

Looking at the number and severity of accidents involving these "high-tech" buses, it makes one wonder whether we really need these types of vehicles plying on our roads. And what is the role of ARAI other than mileage testing? Do they undertake crash testing? And bus manufacturers can help by introducing low-powered (120-150 hp) with four-speed gearboxes instead of the present six-speed ones.

[Tejas Ingle]

Originally Posted by LPT2625

Looking at the number and severity of accidents involving these "high-tech" buses, it makes one wonder whether we really need these types of vehicles plying on our roads. And what is the role of ARAI other than mileage testing? Do they undertake crash testing? And bus manufacturers can help by introducing low-powered (120-150 hp) with four-speed gearboxes instead of the present six-speed ones.

We do need these kind of buses because they are much better than the ones built at local body shops. But along with the buses we need compatible drivers and compulsary safety procedures.

[alto99]

Originally Posted by Tejas Ingle

We do need these kind of buses because they are much better than the ones built at local body shops. But along with the buses we need compatible drivers and compulsary safety procedures.

The above bus is very much built by local(indian) body shop "Sutlej"

[Tejas Ingle]

The parts come from Mercedes Benz and they are assembled by sutlej. In other buses the metat sheets come from metal market and the lights are the duplicates of indicas, innovas, sumo's, santro's and what not.

[silversteed]

Originally Posted by LPT2625

Looking at the number and severity of accidents involving these "high-tech" buses, it makes one wonder whether we really need these types of vehicles plying on our roads. And what is the role of ARAI other than mileage testing? Do they undertake crash testing? And bus manufacturers can help by introducing low-powered (120-150 hp) with four-speed gearboxes instead of the present six-speed ones.

Originally Posted by Tejas Ingle

We do need these kind of buses because they are much better than the ones built at local body shops. But along with the buses we need compatible drivers and compulsary safety procedures.

I beg to differ. It's got to begin with creating awareness and imparting training to the drivers. If we're stuck with buses of just 120-150bhp power, the railways will be choked to the top, and travel won't be as easy as it is now. Safety is of prime importance, but that doesn't mean having under-powered buses.

Someone said seat belts should be used, and not found in local-bodied buses. This is not true. Many buses from SM Kannapa (Prakash Coach), Veera have seat belts for *all* seats. How many use them, is a different matter. ABTX Travels, ARC Tours have such buses, but hardly anyone uses the seat belts.

[Tejas Ingle]

Originally Posted by silversteed

I beg to differ. It's got to begin with creating awareness and imparting training to the drivers. If we're stuck with buses of just 120-150bhp power, the railways will be choked to the top, and travel won't be as easy as it is now. Safety is of prime importance, but that doesn't mean having under-powered buses.

Someone said seat belts should be used, and not found in local-bodied buses. This is not true. Many buses from SM Kannapa (Prakash Coach), Veera have seat belts for *all* seats. How many use them, is a different matter. ABTX Travels, ARC Tours have such buses, but hardly anyone uses the seat belts.

I agree with you and thats what I said in the earlier post. We need these buses but we have to take safety more seriously which is completely ignored at present. There are seat belts found in buses this is a rare occurance. I have never seen a seat belt in any bus.

[ethanhunt123]

Originally Posted by LPT2625

Looking at the number and severity of accidents involving these "high-tech" buses, it makes one wonder whether we really need these types of vehicles plying on our roads. And what is the role of ARAI other than mileage testing? Do they undertake crash testing? And bus manufacturers can help by introducing low-powered (120-150 hp) with four-speed gearboxes instead of the present six-speed ones.

And take us back to the era when it used to take 4 hours for a 150km journey in rickety old buses ? And while we are at it, why not ban all cars developing more than 50PS and allow sales of only Amby's, M800's & Premier Padminis. No thanks, i will take the current gen Volvos/MB thank you.

What is required is strict driver training and law enforcement on our highways.

[amit_mechengg]

Originally Posted by Tejas Ingle

We do need these kind of buses because they are much better than the ones built at local body shops. But along with the buses we need compatible drivers and compulsary safety procedures.

i have seen seat belts on these buses, volvo and mercedes and also the isuzu. the seat belts are available for the front 4 seats only.

and who says these drivers are not paid good salary?
these drivers are very experienced chaps. no one gives keys of volvos to fresh drivers.

average fixed salary of these people is 14-15k per month.
apart from this for every trip they get bhatta of 300-500 rs.

so summing it up they atleast earn a lowest figure of 40000 to 50000 per month in hand, non taxable.

this is not a salary of an average BE engineer too.

but the kind of torque and power these buses generate these guys feel as if they are the king of the roads and they can smash aside any other vehicles.

but not all drivers are bad. the MSRTC bus drivers i have seen are amazing. so are most of the neeta volvo drivers.
but i have always seen neeta people driving slower than the MSRTC ones


yes and i forgot to add, be it local body builder or very own tata motors. the CMVR norms have a mandate of seat belts for buses as well as trucks.
so they all have seat belts without which RTO passing is not done.

if you check the list of mandate that a school bus should have one will go crazy. but all these are incorporated in a bus.

[Thad E Ginathom]

All such passenger vehicles should be driven according to law, which includes speed limits. If that is done, journey times may be longer, but so, for many, will life. Power is not at all the relevant thing.