Bhubaneswar: The Capital Region Urban Transport (Crut) has adopted a zero-tolerance policy following a series of attacks on its Ama Bus fleet and personnel over the past 72 hours, registering cases against those involved in a bid to protect public property and ensure passenger safety.Between Friday and Sunday, Ama Buses faced damage in three separate incidents. On Sunday, autorickshaw drivers vandalised a bus and smashed its windscreen in Cuttack’s Khannagar for allegedly plying on a diverted route due to a marathon. On Saturday, a scooter-bus collision apparently due to low visibility during heavy fog escalated when the rider called his associates to assault the bus driver.On Friday, after a biker was injured when an Ama Bus hit the side of his two-wheeler near Ashok Nagar here, stone-pelting by an irate mob damaged three buses, leaving two drivers and several passengers injured.Faced with these disruptions, Crut lodged complaints at Purighat, Tamando and Capital police stations, respectively.In the Ashok Nagar case, Capital police made the third arrest on Sunday. The accused was identified as Silu Digal, 20, of Kalibadi Basti. On Saturday, police arrested two persons in the case. Crut also provided digital evidence, including photos and videos of the miscreants, to ensure swift arrests. Following injuries to bus drivers Ajay Kumar Dakua and Ramesh Chandra Nayak, Crut reiterated its commitment to staff security, ensuring PCR vans are alerted immediately during such incidents.It also issued a warning that any individual taking the law into their hands or damaging public transport will face legal consequences.“We appeal to the responsible citizens of the twin cities to co-operate. Public property belongs to the people, and any attempt to disrupt these services through violence will be met with strict legal action,” read an official statement issued by Crut on Sunday.Ama Buses, operated by Crut, were involved in a series of major and minor accidents in the twin cities of Bhubaneswar and Cuttack in the past one and a half years. As per govt data, accidents involving Ama Buses claimed 22 lives and injured over 50 people since the service began in 2018.“The buses are causing accidents but vandalism by the public is not acceptable. The govt needs to ensure that the buses are operated safely, since they are responsible for the safety and security of passengers and bus staff as well as those on the road,” social worker Alok Kar said.
