Bhubaneswar, 05 January (H.S.): In a bid to strengthen road safety and passenger security, Odisha Transport Commissioner Amitabh Thakur on Monday undertook a journey on an Ama Bus from Bhubaneswar to Cuttack to personally assess safety measures and operational practices.

The initiative comes in the wake of a fatal accident on January 3 at Rupali Square in Bhubaneswar, where a speeding Ama Bus crashed into a stationary auto-rickshaw waiting at a red signal. The collision claimed the life of the auto driver, Bishnu Patra (62) of Jajpur district, on the spot. A woman passenger, Namita Pradhan (21), sustained critical injuries, including a head injury and fractures, while another passenger suffered minor injuries.

Following the incident, locals staged protests and vandalised the involved bus along with two others. Police subsequently arrested the bus driver, booking him under charges of culpable homicide.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Monalisa Panda