Chennai
However, they are a rare sight on the roads nowadays. This scribe recently boarded one such bus (15B) to Koyambedu from Broadway. Upon noticing a few passengers who had entered through the rear entry/exit rushing to the front, this reporter asked the conductor why they were doing so. But the reason soon became clear when the conductor sarcastically suggested this scribe to have a glimpse of the vestibule connecting the front and the rear of the bus.
There was a hole large enough for a man to slip through. No wonder then, passengers were justified in seeking a safer place. When questioned about the damaged vestibule, the conductor explained that while the bus they were travelling was safe, he recalled an incident which happened in 2016 when vestibule gave away, splitting the bus into two.
“That incident injured at least a few passengers seated at the rear, while those in the front escaped unhurt,” the conductor said. Incidentally, after hearing the conductor’s narration, more passengers seated in the rear got out of the bus in the next stop and boarded through the front. The official version though remains that trailer buses have been taken off the roads due to difficulty in maneuvering large vehicles and lack of patronage.
— R Lenin, Chennai
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