Five killed, 20 hurt as Hyderabad, Eluru bus hits container truck

Indian Opinion Analysis

The Suryapet, Kodad stretch of NH-65 is a known black spot for accidents, often blamed on driver fatigue and overloaded trucks. Under the Motor Vehicles Act, 1988, a bus driver found guilty of causing death by rash driving faces up to five years in jail, but convictions are rare without forensic evidence of drowsiness. The state government has not yet mandated driver-alcohol or fatigue sensors in private buses, unlike some state transport undertakings. The injured will be monitored at the district hospital, and the police investigation report, expected in two weeks, will decide whether the transport company faces licence suspension. A similar crash on the same highway in 2024 killed nine after a bus hit a parked truck with protruding rods, that case is still in trial, now in its second year at the Suryapet district court.