To review penal action against guilty drivers

Centre of Indian Trade Union (CITU), the labour wing of the CPM, might have forced the government to form a committee to review implementation of Section 304 of IPC against bus drivers, but statistics reveal that private buses claim maximum lives in road accidents.

According to Kolkata police records, 420 people died in road accidents in 2004, of which 149 people died in accidents caused by private buses and minibus. In 2005, the number was 149 out of a total of 484 people and in 2006, the count was 139 people among a total fatalities of 476.

“Earlier, we used to book guilty drivers under Section 304 A, a bailable offence. But now, in cases of gross and wanton recklessness we will book them under a non-bailable offence of Section 304,” said K Harirajan, Joint Commissioner (traffic) of Kolkata police.

He added, “We cannot let such drivers get bail easily and take to the wheels again. We are setting up a database of habitual offenders and will book them under non-bailable sections,” Harirajan added.

The city, however, remained paralysed on Wednesday following the CITU-backed West Bengal Transport Federation (WBTF) 24-hour strike in protest against the arrest of bus drivers under Section 304.

Subsequently, state Home Secretary Ashok Mohan Chakrabarty announced the formation of a seven-member committee to review the implementation of Section 304. After a meeting with CITU leaders at Writers’ Buildings on Wednesday, he said, “I am confident that the issue will be resolved soon.”

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