Human error responsible for Kullu accident: Bali

Dharamshala, Nov 17 (UNI) Himachal Pradesh Transport Minister G S Bali today attributed the November 14 bus accident in Kullu district of the state to human error, saying that the driver of the bus was speaking on his mobile phone when the accident occurred.

''According to the report submitted by the inquiry committee, the owner, who was driving the bus, was talking on his mobile phone while driving when the accident occurred,'' he said in a press conference here.

Ruling out any mechanical fault in the bus, he said it had only been bought on March 7 and the accident was the sole responsibility of the bus owner who was driving the bus at that time.

He neither had a driving license nor any driving experience which led to the accident, he said.

Replying to a question, Mr Bali said the bus was not being driven at a high speed since it had picked up passengers 50 meters before it met with an accident at Talara in Kullu district.

Mr Bali said the bus was put in the third gear while it should have been in the second gear and this allowed the bus to move backwards, adding that lack of experience of the driver led to the accident.

Both the owner and the driver, who was also on board the bus, have been arrested, he said.

He said the department has decided to launch a campaign to penalise people driving without a license.

The state government has decided to give Rs 25,000 each as relief to the next of the kin who were killed in the accident besides one lakh as insurance compensation, he said.

On being told that the seven tourists from Uttar Pradesh killed in a road accident a few months ago had not yet been given the insurance money, the transport minister directed Kangra SDM to look into the matter.

He said four driving schools would be opened in the state to prevent re-occurrence of such accidents in the future.

UNI XC AS HS PB KP2022