On the Delhi-Meerut motorway, a bus travelling at a high rate of speed collides with a vehicle, killing six people

On the Delhi-Meerut Motorway near Behrampur in Ghaziabad on Tuesday, six members of a family travelling from Meerut to the Khatu Shyam temple in Rajasthan were killed and two others were injured when their vehicle collided with a speeding bus that was being driven on the wrong side of the carriageway.

CCTV footage of the incident, which showed the bus veering into the Mahindra TUV 300 even as the latter attempted to change lanes at the last second, brought to light once more how some of the most elementary traffic infractions, like running red lights, speeding, and especially driving on the wrong side of the road in an effort to save time, lead to some of the worst accidents on Indian roads.

It was a head-on collision that had a significant impact. When it collided with the SUV, the bus was being driven quickly. Three children and six other victims died immediately, while two others were taken to a hospital for treatment. Some of the corpses had to be removed by the police using cutters. The bus driver was detained, and a police report was filed at the Crossings Republik station, according to Ravi Prakash Singh, assistant commissioner of police for Wave City.

The name of a private school was written on a flip board that was found on the bus, according to the police, indicating that it was also used to transport students. The bus’s owner afterwards claimed that it had not been used by the school for the previous two years. The bus is a member of the fleet of the neighbourhood travel agency Chaudhary Tours & Travels Private Limited.

Prem Pal Singh, the driver, is an Aligarh native who was charged with inflicting damages, making an attempt to commit culpable homicide, and violating IPC sections 304, 308, and 427. According to authorities, Singh, who was around 45 years old, was the sole passenger aboard the vehicle at the time of the collision.

Narendra Yadav, 45, who owned an electrical company in Dhanpur, Meerut, together with his wife Anita, 42, and their two kids, Deepanshu, 17, and Himanshu, 14, were identified as the victims. The disaster also claimed the lives of Yadav’s niece Vanshika, 8, and sister-in-law Babita, 37. Both his 5-year-old nephew Karthik and 40-year-old brother Dharmendra are recovering at a hospital.

“One of my relatives’ whole family was slaughtered, and my other cousin’s wife and children also perished. Around 4 am, they left their Meerut house to go to Sikar for darshan at the Khatu Shyam temple. They were supposed to eat breakfast at the home of their sister in Gurugram, according to Sanjay Yadav, who spoke to the media on behalf of the deceased family.

In order to avoid doing a U-turn, the bus entered the incorrect lane of the DME, according to Ramanand Kushwaha, the additional DCP (traffic) for Ghaziabad.

The bus entered the incorrect highway at Indirapuram in Ghaziabad, according to recordings that authorities with the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) had at their disposal. They claim that it went for more than 7.2 km, or 5 to 6 minutes, before striking the automobile.

“The bus and the automobile were travelling at speeds between 90 and 100 km/h. The bus came from Indirapuram and joined the motorway; the traffic cops at the entrance/exit point ought to have stopped the driver. Before striking the automobile, the bus had driven around 7.2 km. Additionally, the event was recorded by the DME’s CCTVs, which are placed every 500 yards. Although they were at a different location, our patrolling cars were also deployed on DME, according to an NHAI officer who wished to remain anonymous.

On the motorway, the posted speed limit is 100 kph.

On the back of the bus, which had a Noida licence plate, were the words “Chaudhary Tours and Travels (P) Ltd” and three phone numbers. A representative from Chaudhary Tours responded to inquiries by saying: “The bus was transporting schoolchildren up until the lockdown, and then it began transporting workers of a private firm in Noida. On Tuesday morning, the bus driver departed from Noida to pick up corporate employees from Nandnagri in Delhi. Police prevented him from going any farther because of Kanwar Yatra-related detours at Indirapuram. After that, he made a mistake on DME. The driver has been working with us for a while. This official requested anonymity.

Additional The bus was transporting employees of a firm in Noida, according to DCP Kushwaha, although it carried a card that said “on school duty” at the time. The identification was still visible even though the vehicle was no longer used by the school, he said.

The policeman said that there’s a chance the disaster may have been avoided.

“For Kanwar Yatra responsibilities, our crew is stationed along the expressway’s key locations. There was no indication from NHAI personnel about the bus being driven on the incorrect side, he said.

The police, according to NHAI authorities, were the ones who ought to have stepped in or warned them.

The area often conducts drives against erring automobiles, according to Noida’s transport enforcement department.

“Due to recent Kanwar Yatra detours, several larger trucks have wandered on various routes. The police have started their investigation, and we will pursue the appropriate legal remedies as well. “We launch new drives against such vehicles on a regular basis to track down the offending vehicles,” said Deepak Shah, assistant regional transport officer (enforcement, Noida).

He said that according to their records, the bus’s certification, insurance, and other documentation were all genuine. Since 2018, the bus has received at least 19 challans for violations of the speed limit, traffic regulations, driving without a licence, failing to wear a seatbelt and parking laws.