Thrissur: There seems to be no end to the troubles that have befallen KSRTC's much-touted SWIFT bus service that began operations on Tuesday.
Even before news of an accident on its first day of service could subside, another one of the SWIFT buses was involved in an accident which led to the death of an elderly person.
The incident happened at 5:05 am near Malaya Junction in Kunnamkulam here on Thursday, the third day since SWIFT buses commenced operations.
Though earlier reports carried that it was the bus that hit Tamil Nadu native Paraswamy, CCTV visuals have confirmed that it was in fact a pickup van that hit him first as he was crossing the road.
The impact had Paraswamy thrown to the road and unable to escape the path of the SWIFT bus in time. The rear wheel of the bus ran over Paraswamy's legs.
Though locals rushed him to Mulakunnathukaavu Medical College Hospital, the 65-year-old succumbed to injuries shortly after.
Both the pickup van and the bus sped on after the accident. The KSRTC driver had earlier told police that he was unaware of the incident.
After viewing CCTV visuals, police have also said that perhaps the driver's statement is true given that it was the rear wheel that ran over Paraswamy.
Nonetheless, the bus, which had reached Kozhikode, was brought back to Kunnamkulam.
The pickup van has been identified as one belonging to a Vellarakkad resident. However, it is not clear if it was indeed the owner of the vehicle who was behind the steering wheel. The investigation is on.
This is the second accident involving SWIFT buses in two days. On Tuesday, a SWIFT bus collided with a lorry at Kallambalam in Thiruvananthapuram.
The crew of the bus involved in the crash were subsequently removed from service.
The frequency of these accidents also had KSRTC Chairman and Managing Director Biju Prabhakar alleging that the string of accidents was part of foul play by rogue parties.
The debt-ridden state transport corporation was hoping to turn its fortunes around with the introduction of SWIFT buses, a new wing exclusively for long-distance services.
It began operations on Monday (April 11).
