No technical glitch but human error is cause of Purvanchal expressway accident, says transport department

LUCKNOW: The transport department has ruled out "technical glitch" as a cause of the accident that took place on Purvanchal expressway at 25 kilometre milestone as early as 4.30am on Monday in which a Delhi-bound sleeper bus coming from Bihar and moving via Barabanki-Lucknow hit another Delhi-bound bus which was also coming from Bihar and was following the same route.
One of the vehicles (UP81DT1580) was waiting at the fourth lane on the expressway when another one (UP17AT1353) hit it on the rear killing eight people and leaving another 18 injured.
"Human error", said the department, was prima facie the cause of the accident.
The ill-fated vehicles were technically examined by the officials of the department. "Any technical fault does not appear to be the cause of the accident," said the examination report by the department, adding that the buses were badly damaged physically.
At the 25th milestone on Lucknow lane at the expressway, there is a cafeteria and a public utility of UPEIDA. The report said, "It appears that the vehicle (UP81DT1580) was parked on the main road while the passengers had gone to the cafeteria, when another bus (UP17AT1353) hit it from behind."
"It is worth mentioning that neither the patrolling van of UPEIDA nor the staff or manager of the cafeteria told the driver of the bus parked on the main road to take the vehicle to the service lane on the left or the parking lane which could have averted the accident. It is also worth mentioning that the bus (UP81DT1580) was parked on the last of the four lanes on the expressway and on the left when the bus coming from the behind hit it."
It, therefore, appears to be the "human error" on the part of the drivers of the two vehicles and staff of the cafeteria that could have caused the accident, said the report.
The bus (UP17AT1353) was registered in Baghpat in December 2016. The vehicle had its fitness valid till December 2023. It had valid insurance and permit. Another one got registered in Aligarh in May 2018. It was fit to operate till June 2023. It was insured till June this year and had a valid permit.