Court acquits BEST driver booked for causing injuries to passenger

Observing that a passenger is duty-bound to take reasonable care in a moving bus, a court in a recent order acquitted a BEST driver booked for allegedly driving in a rash manner and causing a woman passenger to take a fall and suffer a fracture. The passenger had her phone in one hand and her purse in another and she had not settled down before the bus started moving, the court said, ruling that the driver cannot be held responsible for the fall.

“It is the duty of the passenger to hold the handrail, settle on a seat and take reasonable care in a moving bus. She should have settled on the seat by holding the handrail. The conductor is also duty-bound not to signal the driver to set the bus in motion till a passenger has settled on his/her seat. Therefore, in my view, the driver’s duty is to follow the conductor’s signal. He cannot be held liable for rash and negligent.