E-bus breaks down on Bengaluru railway tracks, sparks traffic chaos

Bengaluru: Commuters on the busy Attibele–Anekal road witnessed a tense morning Monday after an electric bus broke down on a railway track at the Handenahalli level crossing.The incident occurred around 10.45am, just after the railway gate reopened following the passage of a train. The BMTC bus got stuck on the tracks.
For over 15 minutes, the bus remained stranded on the tracks, bringing traffic to a near standstill. Though a major gridlock was avoided, vehicles crawled bumper to bumper for more than a kilometre, with frustrated commuters struggling to reach offices and appointments on time. Fortunately, no train movement was scheduled on the stretch at that hour.BMTC official said the driver immediately alerted technical staff. "It was later found that one of the two switches near the charging unit was turned off. Once the switch was turned on again, the bus restarted. The bus tracking data used by BMTC revealed that the vehicle resumed movement at 11:25am. Preliminary checks revealed that the charging switch tripped because the upper protective cover was not properly locked. The brief stoppage, along with the closure and reopening of the railway gate, led to traffic congestion in the area," the official said.The episode has once again highlighted the vulnerability of the Handenahalli railway gate, where traffic routinely builds up during train crossings. Commuters reiterated their long-pending demand for elimination of the level crossing to ease chronic bottlenecks, but authorities are yet to act on the proposal. MSID:: 128950118 413 |