Thokkottu: An auto rickshaw overcrowded with school kids ran off road on an over bridge on NH-66 following a brake fail on Monday morning. The auto driver and one kid were injured in the incident.
The auto which faced technical glitch ran into a shop causing minor injuries to the driver and one student.
The locals say that several autos are hired by parents to ferry their children to school and overcrowding of these autos is a common scene.
It may be recalled that in June 2016, a total of eight kids were killed and 12 were injured in a school bus mishap at Gangolli.
Following this gruesome incident, the district administrations of Udupi as well as Dakshina Kannada cracked the whip and brought in rules for vehicles used for ferrying students. The ceiling on number of students in one vehicle was the most important factor among other safety measures. But, as the memory of this incident fades away, even these rules and regulation have been forgotten. In most parts of the Mangaluru at least these rules are not being followed and one can see autos and cars being used to pick and drop students being over crowded.
District administration needs to open its eyes before Gangolli tragedy repeats itself.
