Maharashtra Bus Driver Holds Umbrella While Driving As Roof Leaks, Video Goes Viral | Watch

New Delhi: In yet another incident highlighting the dilapidated condition of state-run buses in Maharashtra, a video showing a driver holding an umbrella while driving a Maharashtra State Road Transport Corporation (MSRTC) is going viral on social media platforms.

In the viral video, the driver can be seen driving the bus with his right hand while holding a yellow umbrella in his left hand to shield himself from rain as the roof of the vehicle leaked.

As the roof of the ST bus was leaking, the driver had time to hold the umbrella in one hand and the steering wheel in one hand. A video from Aheri Agar in Gadchiroli has come to light. #gadchiroli #Maharashtra #viral #viralvideo pic.twitter.com/AfwVQMrnW5

— Zaitra (@Zaitra6) August 25, 2023

As per reports, the incident took place in Maharashtra’s Gadchiroli district and has sparked discourse on the broken-down condition of state-run buses in the state, especially in the Aheri depot.

The manager of the Aheri bus depot, Chandrabhushan Ghagargunde said they have taken cognizance of the viral video and the incident is being investigated, however, the registration plate and the driver’s face are not clearly visible in the video, making it difficult to identify the vehicle as well as its driver.

MSRTC bus caught running with roof torn open

In a similar incident last month, a MSRTC bus was seen plying with its rooftop torn open and fluttering in the air. A video of the incident which also happened in Gadchiroli district, had gone viral on social media and prompted authorities to launch a probe.

An official said a staffer responsible for the maintenance of vehicles was suspended.

MSRTC vice chairman and managing director Shekhar Channe had  told news agency PTI that the bus belongs to the Aheri depot in Gadchiroli district.

“A probe has been ordered into the incident. Action is being taken against the officer concerned,” he said.

Another MSRTC official said an officer of the mechanical engineering department in Gadchiroli has been suspended for being responsible for poor maintenance of the bus.

The bus was plying on the Gadchiroli-Aheri route and the entire rooftop of the vehicle did not come out, but only the outer fibre portion above the driver’s cabin was broken and fluttered in the air while the bus was running on the highway, he said.

The external aluminium rooftop portion over the passengers’ cabin and the inner layer of the rooftop of the entire bus was intact, the official said.

“The crew of the bus and passengers were unaware of the broken rooftop. After people from some other vehicle pointed it out to the bus crew members, the latter asked them to shoot a video,” he said.

State Transport Commissioner Vivek Bhimanwar did not respond to a query on whether any action would be taken in this connection by the Regional Transport Office (RTO).

MSRTC is one of the biggest public transport bodies in the country with more than 15,000 buses in its fleet. It ferries around 60 lakh passengers every day.

(With PTI inputs)