Student had to walk home 5 km as driver refused to drive bus citing poor road condition
Munish Sood
MANDI:
A courageous schoolgirl from Sarkaghat in Mandi district of Himachal Pradesh has exposed serious lapses in public transport by posting a video against a Himachal Road Transport Corporation (HRTC) bus driver’s “arbitrary behavior”.
The video, which quickly went viral on social media, compelled the corporation to act and resulted in the suspension of the driver after a preliminary inquiry.
Student’s safety put at risk
According to the student, the driver refused to take the bus further on the designated route, allegedly citing road conditions. This decision left her stranded and forced her to walk nearly 5 km to reach home. The incident has raised serious concerns about the safety of schoolgirls and other passengers who depend on public transport in remote areas.
In her video, the student questioned the logic behind the driver’s decision, asking why buses had been operating on the same route earlier if it was unsuitable for larger vehicles. She also highlighted chronic delays in morning bus services, stating that students regularly reach school late due to the inconsistent arrival of buses.
She further alleged that when such issues are raised before officials, students are met with dismissive attitudes instead of solutions, highlighting deeper systemic apathy towards commuters’ grievances.
Swift action after public outcry
Following the video going viral, the HRTC management initiated an internal investigation. The driver concerned has been suspended with immediate effect and a detailed departmental inquiry has been ordered to ascertain accountability.
A senior official of the HRTC’s Sarkaghat Depot stated that if the road condition was genuinely poor, the driver was duty-bound to inform senior officers, which was not done. He confirmed that the designated route would be inspected and, if any deficiencies are found, the Public Works Department would be approached for necessary repairs.
He also assured that bus services on the route had now been regularised to prevent inconvenience to students and the general public.
