A viral video shows a VRL Travels bus driver watching Bigg Boss on his phone while driving at 80 kmph in Bengaluru. The clip, recorded by a passenger, led to his immediate suspension as the company reaffirmed its zero-tolerance safety policy.
Bengaluru: Just days after the tragic Kurnool bus accident that claimed 20 lives of passengers returning to Bengaluru after Diwali, another case highlighting the dangers of negligence on highways has come to light. A shocking video has gone viral showing a bus driver from VRL Travels, one of Karnataka’s leading private transport companies, watching Bigg Boss on his mobile phone while driving at high speed.
The incident has raised serious concerns over passenger safety and driver discipline in private long-distance buses. The video, recorded by a passenger around 2:50 am, shows the driver watching the television show on a phone placed below the steering wheel while the bus was travelling at around 80 kilometres per hour.
The passenger captioned the video, “This is also a reason for accidents.”
Company Takes Immediate Action
Soon after the video went viral on social media, VRL Travels issued a statement confirming that strict disciplinary action had been taken against the driver.
“Following your complaint, an internal inquiry was conducted, and the concerned driver has been relieved from duty with immediate effect due to his negligent behaviour. Vijayanand Travels will not tolerate any act that compromises passenger safety and maintains a zero-tolerance policy in this matter,” the company said in its official response.
The statement added that VRL employs over 1,300 drivers in its travel division and more than 10,000 in its logistics operations, and that regular safety training and awareness sessions are conducted.
“Incidents like this are extremely rare, and we thank passengers for bringing such issues to our attention. We have reinforced strict instructions for all drivers not to use mobile phones while driving. We sincerely apologise for the unpleasant experience,” the company added.
Passengers Offer Suggestions for Safer Travel
While several passengers and netizens appreciated VRL’s swift response, others urged the company to further strengthen its recruitment and training process to ensure maximum passenger safety.
One user commented, “I would like to suggest enhancing your recruitment process to include interviews that specifically assess a driver’s commitment to passenger safety. Providing mandatory training on professional ethics, passenger conduct, and adherence to safety standards is essential. Drivers carry the responsibility of many lives, so their training and discipline must reflect that.”
The video has once again drawn attention to the pressing need for stricter monitoring of private bus operators, particularly during overnight intercity routes, to ensure that passenger safety is never compromised.