Kerala State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC) recently launched a double-decker bus to provide tourists with a better view of the beautiful landscapes in Munnar.
Titled ‘Munnar Royal View’, the transport vehicle was designed to offer people a 360-degree view of tea plantations, high ranges, and tourist attractions. The bus would operate four times a day on the Munnar-Devikulam route.
However, netizens raised questions about the safety of taking the double-decker coach on hilly roads. They claimed this model of buses is unsafe on ghat roads. They believed it might lead to accidents. “Disaster waiting to happen”, X users wrote.
Check reactions
“Disaster waiting to happen…”
A video shared by X page ‘Go Kerala’ went viral and received mixed reactions. Most people addressed the potential risks involved in operating double-decker buses on the roads of Kerala’s hill station, Munnar, while other expressed their excitement to get onboard and get soaked in the beautiful view the region offers.
“I’m no expert but won’t the bus find it difficult to travel through the Munnar roads ? A double decker going through those steep bends is a recipe for disaster”, one wrote.
“As an engineer with fairly decent intelligence and experience, I can say this is a disaster waiting to happen. On these paths, a lower centre of gravity is what one would opt for, and this is way too off—at least, it looks so”, said another.
New buses violate MV Act: Kerala HC
A report in Kerala Kaumudi stated a recent matter at the high court regarding these new tourist buses. It pointed out that the vehicle had more lights than permitted (Six instead of four) along with multi-coloured lights in the passenger cabin which violated the Motor Vehicle Act.
The court addressed a suo motu case asking whether the state government has the authority to relax vehicle traffic safety standards. It directed an inquiry and reinforced that all vehicles have equal rights on roads.
The bench took note of modifications done on the vehicle and stated the additional lights fixed on the side window glass and wheel arches could pose risks not only to other vehicles but also to the buses themselves.
Double-decker bus accidents
In one of the major accidents associated with double-decker busses, in 2018, at least 44 people lost their lives after the two-tier vehicle plunged 100 metres off a mountain road in Peru, South America.
Another incident reported from Thailand in 2023 mentioned a double-decker smashed into a tree in the wee hours of the day. The bus was carrying nearly 50 passengers onboard when it veered off a road in the Prachuap Khiri Khan area of the country and killed 14 people.
These buses might offer a better view to tourists onboard, but they accompany risks which can’t be ignored. The double-decker coaches are not recommended for mountainous and curvy ghat roads due to the concern of overturning.
In an earlier report, an expert in transport engineering told The New Indian Express that speed and turning pose challenges for double-decker buses. “Even at a horizontal curve, the bus can overturn. The problem will aggravate when it plies in ghat sections”.
