Chamarajanagar: A KSRTC bus driver, who had averted major mishap and saved the lives of 58 passengers on board when the bus went out of control at Himavad Gopalaswamy Hill in October 2017, was awarded Gold Medal at a programme held at Chamarajanagar KSRTC office in the presence of Chamarajanagar KSRTC Divisional Controller R. Ashok Kumar and Gundlupet Depot Manager M.G. Jayakumar recently.

It may be recalled that SOM had published a report on Oct. 9, 2017, about the KSRTC bus attached to Gundlupet Depot, which had left Bengaluru at 6 am on Oct.8 (Sunday), to reach Gundlupet and left the town to the Hill at 10.30 am. After the passengers had the darshan of the Lord, the bus with 58 passengers left for Gundlupet in the afternoon.

While coming down hill, the driver, M. Chinnaswamy, lost control of the vehicle while negotiating a curve due to the damaged road. The driver then tried to steer the bus to the left during which the bus hit the iron barricade and was about to fall into a deep gorge when the driver using his presence of mind, applied the hand-brake following which the bus came to a standstill.

The KSRTC usually operates five mini buses to ferry passengers to the top of the hill. As it was Sunday, there were more passengers and the KSRTC had arranged a regular bus to ferry the passengers.

However, after the incident, the Depot Manager Jayakumar visited the spot and had said that unscientifically laid roads, improper retaining walls & barricades and the height of the road raised by a foot, had made it difficult for regular buses to ply and added that henceforth only mini buses would operate to the Hill.