Daijiworld Media Network – Mangaluru

Mangaluru, Nov 11: Despite the district administration’s directive issued a year ago making it mandatory to keep bus doors closed while in motion to ensure passenger safety, nearly 90 percent of buses are yet to comply with the order.

The directive was introduced following several accidents in Dakshina Kannada district involving passengers hanging from the footboards of moving buses. However, reports indicate that even among express and service buses operating within the district and between Dakshina Kannada and Udupi, as well as in Udupi district itself, most have not implemented the rule. Some KSRTC buses too have been found violating the directive.

Although the police have been conducting awareness campaigns and enforcement drives to promote traffic rule compliance and road safety, the problem of passengers travelling on footboards continues unabated. Such scenes are commonly witnessed during morning and evening hours. Members of the public point out that even after fines and cases are filed by the police, the situation returns to normal the very next day.

Bus owners expressed strong opposition to the directive, stating that most private buses already had two doors, but assigning additional staff to operate them during each trip was impractical. They added that installing pneumatic doors would incur extra expenses at a time when operators were already facing financial losses.

They further pointed out that in city areas, where bus stops were located every few hundred metres, repeatedly opening and closing doors was inconvenient and not feasible.