Passenger safety my top priority: Bali

Our Correspondent

Palampur, May 30

GS Bali, Transport Minister, said that with the earnest efforts of HRTC employees the Himachal Road Transport corporation (HRTC) had earned a profit of Rs 1.20 crores in the past two-and-a-half years.

The minister said when he took over the portfolio the HRTC was in a bad shape, on the verge closure and had incurred losses in crores. However, he streamlined the functioning of the HRTC and today it was among best public undertakings of the country.

Bali was addressing the mediapersons at Bir, 30 km from here today on the occasion of launching of super class AC Volvo bus service between Bir and Gurgaon. He said in coming months 20 more such Volvo buses would be started from different stations of the state to Delhi, Hardwar and Dehradun. A Volvo bus between MacLeodgunj and Srinagar would be launched on June 5.

He said the concept of Volvo buses in the state had proved a big success and the daily receipts of HRTC had shown a record increase. If the present trend continued in coming years no one would prefer to travel in the ordinary buses to places like Delhi, Chandigarh, Hardwar and other long-distance destination from Himachal Pradesh as Volvo had become the first choice of passengers in Himachal.

In reply to a question he said his top priority was passenger safety as 95 per cent population in the state was dependant on road transport. He said he had been deeply hurt over the recent bus mishaps in the state which claimed the lives of many persons in last few days. Bali said over 85 per cent mishaps took place because of human error while only 10 to 15 per cent were because of bad roads or mechanical failure. If adequate precautions were taken bus accidents in the state could be avoided, he said.

The minister said he had appealed to the public to be vigilant and keep watch on over speeding and talking on mobile phone by the drivers. He said if any such thing was noticed he should be informed on his personal mobile or on mobile numbers displayed in the buses. He said accident could only be checked with the active cooperation of passengers.