Maneka Gandhi roots for sensors on footboard of buses to prevent accidents

NEW DELHI: Union Women and Child Development minister Maneka Gandhi today suggested installation of sensors on the footboard of the buses to prevent women and children meeting accidents while boarding or deboarding the vehicle.

"I have been receiving complaints of women and children being hurt while boarding and deboarding buses...we should have sensors on all buses. It will facilitate safer travel as the bus would not start if somebody is standing on the footboard," Gandhi said in a series of tweets.

She said she has written to Union Road Transport and Highways minister Nitin Gadkari in this regard after she received a number of complaints of women and children getting hurt while boarding or getting off the buses.

Road safety expert Rohit Baluja termed her suggestion as "impractical".

"There should be no sensors. This is an enforcement issue. No one should be traveling on footboards. Drivers and conductors should ensure this. Buses should not start till people get out of footboards...

"The amount of money spent on a sensor can be spent on ensuring automated doors. This has already been implemented in Delhi. Sensors are not a practical solution. It is a theoretical and arbitrary solution that can't be implemented," he said.

According to a Delhi Transport Corporation (DTC) official, all 3,775 DTC buses in the national capital have automated doors.

A study conducted by DTC for World Bank also shows a substantial fall in fatalities during alighting and boarding after DTC fleet was completely converted to low-floor buses with automated doors in 2010.