MTCC: Fatal accident not a result of long working hours for bus drivers

Bus drivers are provided with a supportive work environment and need to work only four hours per day, says CEO of Maldives Transport and Contracting Company (MTCC), Hassan Shah.

The remark comes after a bus driver dozed off behind the wheels and ran over a female pedestrian in a tragic accident in Hulhumale’ this Monday morning.

Speaking in an interview to ‘Sun’, CEO Shah said that the driver involved in the accident had been working for MTCC for over two years, and was well-disciplined.

“Drivers have eight hours of duty time. But they need to drive only four hours. The remaining four hours they are on standby. We are briefing our employees before dispatching them for duty. We will take more measures to remedy this,” said Shah.

The accident took place at approximately 6:15 am near the Fuel Supplies Maldives (FSM) fuel shed located in Fithuroanu Magu.

The accident resulted in the death of a 31-year-old Ukranian tourist who had been staying at a guesthouse in Hulhumale’ on vacation.

There were two or three passengers on board the bus when the accident took place, none of whom sustained any injuries.