Villagers block road after bus hits tree injuring commuters near Tirupattur

The driver lost control of the vehicle on the narrow stretch due to drizzling and overcrowding; the incident happened around 8.30 a.m. in Kusulapattu with students, traders and office-goers in the bus

Residents, farmers, traders and and students in Irunapattu, a tribal village near Tirupattur town, blocked the Mayil Paarai Kutt Road after a bus of the Tamil Nadu State Transport Corporation (TNSTC) hit the roadside tree, injuring commuters, including students, on Thursday. Police said the bus driver lost control of the vehicle on the narrow stretch due to drizzling and more commuters in the bus. The incident happened around 8.30 a.m. in Kusulapattu, a neighbouring village of Irunapattu, with students, traders and office-goers in the bus, Commuters suffered minor injuries in the incident. It is the lone bus service available for residents in the village twice in a day — 8.30 a.m and 5 p.m. In between, they have to depend on two-wheelers or walk the stretch. “We have been demanding direct bus services to Tirupattur town for many years. Regular petitions have been given during grievance day meetings at the Collectorate,” said Premalatha Satyan, president, Irunapattu village panchayat.   Traffic was hit on the stretch for over an hour before Kusalapattu police and revenue officials from Tirupattur block pacified the residents to give up their agitation. Residents said that the lone bus service has been operated since the late 1980s, covering nearly 40 remote villages bordering Andhra Pradesh. As a result, the bus takes longer time to reach Tirupattur town, travelling around 40 km from these villages, every trip. Also, more commuters depend on the single service to reach the town every day.   On the other hand, residents said that direct bus services to small groups of villages would reduce dependence on the lone bus service. It would also reduce the detour of at least 10 km.