A recent incident from a Mumbai-to-Hyderabad journey has raised serious concerns about road safety and driver behavior. A private bus driver was recorded watching the reality TV show Bigg Boss while operating the vehicle at around 2:50 AM, which was heading from Mumbai to Hyderabad. In the viral video, the phone was placed on the speedometer panel, and the bus was seen moving at nearly 80 km/h in the middle of the night. Following public outrage, the operator, Vijayanand Travels, conducted an internal investigation and immediately dismissed the driver from duty. The incident has once again sparked discussions on negligence and accountability among commercial drivers.
The video was posted by Instagram user @nagesh_2161. The video has 21,200 likes and 715 comments. In the comment section of the video, the travel agency shared that it cares for the safety of its passengers and mentioned that they have fired the driver of the bus heading to Hyderabad from Mumbai. The Vijayanand Travels wrote in the comment section of the video, "Greetings from Vijayanand Travels. We sincerely regret the inconvenience, fear, and distress you experienced during your journey on 27th October from Mumbai to Hyderabad. Passenger safety is our top priority, and we take such matters with the utmost seriousness. Following your complaint, an internal inquiry was conducted, and the concerned driver has been relieved from duty with immediate effect due to his negligent behavior. Vijayanand Travels maintains zero tolerance for any action that compromises passenger safety. With over 1,300 drivers in our travel division and 10,000+ drivers in logistics, we continuously conduct regular safety training and awareness programs. Incidents like this are extremely rare, and we sincerely thank you for bringing it to our attention. Please be assured that we have reinforced strict instructions to all drivers not to use mobile phones while driving. Once again, we apologize for the unpleasant experience and thank you for helping us maintain our safety standards. Warm regards, Vijayanand Travels."
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According to the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH), distracted driving, especially mobile phone usage, continues to be a major cause of road mishaps across the country. The ‘Road Accidents in India – 2023’ report revealed that 2,241 accidents and 1,047 deaths were attributed to mobile phone use last year. Although there has been a nearly 10% decline in such cases compared to 2022, instances of texting, calling, browsing social media, and watching videos while driving remain widespread. Data from previous years also shows that speeding and phone use together contribute significantly to fatal road accidents in India.