Don’t switch off engine at traffic signals, BMTC tells drivers

The Bangalore Metropolitan Transport Corporation (BMTC) has instructed all its midi bus drivers not to switch off the engine at traffic signals. The directive comes after an initial investigation into three incidents of Ashok Leyland midi buses in Bengaluru catching fire in the last three months revealed that the fires originated from the engine area.
“We have advised the drivers not to switch off and restart the engine at every traffic signal to avoid an electrical shock circuit. Earlier, the engine was switched off to save diesel. Now, we have instructed the drivers to start the bus during the commencement of the trip in bus depots and to only turn it off at the end of the trip,” BMTC Managing Director Anbu Kumar said.
The BMTC internal investigation has revealed that the fire originated in the engine area in all three incidents. “The electrical line and diesel line of these buses are next to each other. If there is a case of a diesel leakage, it will lead to fire,” Kumar said.
Officials from Ashok Leyland and BMTC are assessing the problem, he added. Until then, the BMTC has come up with this temporary solution.
Though nobody was hurt in the three incidents, the corporation has taken the incidents seriously and formed a committee. It has also asked Ashok Leyland to inspect all the 186 buses procured from the company.
In 2014, the BMTC had procured 186 Ashok Leyland BS-4 midi buses, which are larger than mini buses. These buses are mainly put into service in the narrow and congested areas of the city as they are 9m-long and have 33 seats.
The three bus fire incidents took place on April 9 (near SJP College on Sheshadri Road), February 1 (near Nanda Talkies Road, South Bengaluru) and January 21 (near Makkala Koota Park near Chamarajapet).