Bandh in Bengaluru almost costs 3 BMTC drivers their eyes as miscreants pelt stones

BENGALURU: Many BMTC drivers on night duty on Wednesday were injured after miscreants pelted stones at buses, some almost losing their eyesight as well.  On day one of Bharat Bandh, Tuesday, as many as 12 buses were damaged after stones pelting. While day two, around 26 buses were damaged, injuring three bus drivers. These drivers’ eyes were injured, and they were treated at a private eye hospital.
Prakash, a 45-year-old bus driver, was driving a Volvo bus between HSR and the airport on Tuesday. 

It was past 11.30 pm, near Sadenahalli gate, when miscreants pelted stone at the bus. “Even before we could think, the stones rained and the windshield shattered.  I had little time to react before pulling the brake and stopping the vehicle. My eye was hurting a lot, I thought I had lost it. With the help of the police, I was rushed to Shankar Eye Hospital at Marathahalli, where they did primary treatment. In the morning, I was treated at another hospital in JP Nagar,’’ Prakash said. Prakash’s eye had turned red and was bleeding.

Another driver, Ajith (40), was also driving on the same route, and met with a similar injury. “It was around 12.15 am when the glass pane in the bus shattered and the pieces flew into my eyes. We do not know who did it. There were around 35 passengers on the bus. I stopped the vehicle and our conductor informed the control room, and they sent a spare vehicle. I was rushed to the hospital where they removed glass pieces from my eyes,’’ he said. Chandrashekar, another driver was also admitted to the hospital after a glass pane of the bus he was driving was shattered near Chikkajaala.BMTC will bear the cost for treating the injured drivers.