Tarun Karthick
Port Blair, 23 March 2023
A State Transport Bus on its return trip from Shastri Nagar to Campbell Bay in Great Nicobar skidded off the road while passing by traffic from the other side of the road and stopped short of hitting a tree on the side of the road.
The bus was carrying passengers at the time of the accident, and fortunately, no passenger or staff member was injured.
According to sources, the bus had developed some problems with its brake. Apparently, a leak had developed in some pipe, resulting in pressure loss in the air-operated braking system.
Bad roads and poorly maintained buses are nothing new in remote Islands, and Great Nicobar is no exception.
Earlier, on 24th January 2023, a State Transport Bus had skidded off the road in Great Nicobar Island. On 18th November 2022, an STS bus accidentally smashed an old lady’s legs outside PHC Campbell Bay gate.
While citizens in Port Blair enjoy super luxurious rides in the public AC Buses, residents of remote Islands like Great Nicobar still have to travel in old and under-maintained buses.
The parity in public transportation in urban and rural areas of the Islands is increasing day by day. It seems like officials have stopped thinking about improving the quality of public transportation in rural areas.
When the public and political leaders of Great Nicobar demanded new buses last year, two old buses were sent to Great Nicobar without even repairing them properly.