Road rage spills into KSRTC depot as gas lorry driver attacks bus driver, gets thrashed

ADOOR: A dispute between a gas cylinder lorry driver and a Kerala State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC) bus driver over a broken side glass of the lorry escalated into an assault on the bus driver on the road. The lorry driver later followed the KSRTC bus to the Adoor depot and attempted to assault the driver again, following which KSRTC employees and others at the depot beat him up.

The incident occurred around noon on Monday at Puthoormukku in Kulakkada along the MC Road. The lorry driver alleged that the KSRTC bus from the Pathanamthitta depot hit his vehicle at Puthoormukku around 1.30 pm. After the lorry's side glass was broken, the two drivers argued on the road. During the dispute, the lorry driver assaulted the KSRTC driver.

Following the incident, the KSRTC driver proceeded to the Adoor depot with the bus. The lorry driver then drove into the depot with the vehicle loaded with gas cylinders. He parked the lorry in a manner that prevented other buses from passing through, causing a traffic obstruction. He then attempted to pull the bus driver out of the vehicle and take the bus keys.
At this point, other KSRTC employees and people present at the depot joined in and assaulted the lorry driver.

Though the incident involved a physical altercation between the two sides, no police case was registered. The matter was settled following intervention from higher authorities. The lorry driver paid Rs 28,000 to compensate for the disruption of the bus trip and the damage to the bus driver's spectacles.
It is learnt that the lorry was owned by the brother of a retired IAS officer who had served as KSRTC managing director. The matter was reportedly settled before a police case could be registered.