Mangaluru: Bus driver’s quick thinking averts disaster after brakes fail

Team Udayavani, Jun 17, 2024, 9:11 AM IST

Mangaluru:  A potential disaster was averted and many passengers were saved from danger due to the quick thinking and courageous decision of a city bus driver after the brakes failed.

The incident occurred on Saturday morning at approximately 8:45 AM, involving City Bus number 60 traveling from Kankanady to Akash Bhavan. Just moments before reaching the sloped road near Konchady Vidya School, the bus experienced a brake failure.

Despite pressing the brake pedal with all his strength, the driver, Glen Siqueira, found that the brakes were not functioning. Realizing the urgency to stop the bus, he attempted to halt it by colliding with a parked scooter on the roadside. However, the bus did not stop.

By this time, the passengers on the bus began to panic and scream. Glen, not losing his composure, steered the bus to the right and tried to stop it by hitting the divider. In the process, the bus also went over speed bumps. Finally, the bus came to a halt after hitting the divider. Fortunately, no one was injured.

“God saved everyone”

Recounting the sequence of events,  Glen said: “The bus was about to descend a sloping road, but the brakes were not working. The problem occurred suddenly as the rubber in the brake booster gave out. I had completed two trips on the same route earlier with no issues. The problem arose during the second trip.

“When I realized the brakes were not functioning, I tried to stop the bus by hitting a scooter. When that didn’t work, I steered the bus into the divider to bring it to a stop” he said.

“If the bus had continued, there were many students crossing the road ahead and other vehicles around. By God’s grace, no one was harmed. God saved everyone,” he remarked.