Coimbatore : Drivers of 108 Ambulance and social activists urged the district administration and police officials to ‘move’ the bus stand near the government Coimbatore hospital, owing to the inconvenience caused by private buses.
Coimbatore : Drivers of 108 Ambulance and social activists urged the district administration and police officials to ‘move’ the bus stand near the government Coimbatore hospital, owing to the inconvenience caused by private buses.
They claim that the private buses, all lined up in front of the hospital, have been obstructing vehicular movement, and eventually stopping the ambulance staff from discharging their duty.
According to sources, as many as 7,000 out-patients and 1,600 in-patients would be visiting the hospital every day. This includes people from neighbouring districts like Tirupur, Erode and the Nilgiris.
108 Ambulance
The advent of 108 ambulance service in 2008 has helped to save the lives of lakhs of people on time.
In Coimbatore district, 37 such ambulances, including 29 big vehicles, three two-wheelers, three jeeps and two for newborn babies, are being operated.
Transporting patients by wading through private buses, which make a beeline in front of the government hospital, has become a herculean task for the ambulance drivers. Unlike the public, these bus operators have been non-cooperative, said the drivers of 108 Ambulance.
At several instances, private buses were also seen flouting traffic rules by halting the vehicle in front of the hospital and not the bus stop. This keeps the ambulances waiting to gain access to the hospital entrance at least for ten minutes. Even when the hospital security personnel asked them to make way for the ambulance, the drivers threaten him, they claimed.
Seconding the ambulance drivers, Sivasami, regional secretary of the 108 Ambulance Employers Trade Union, also urged the Traffic department to take immediate measures to shift the bus stop to the opposite side of the hospital’s old gate.
When asked, a few commuters also claimed to have been threatened by the private bus drivers for having asked them to not park in front of the hospital.
They also urged the police officials to take necessary action against such violators.
Speaking to SimpliCity, Resident Medical Officer of government Coimbatore hospital, Soundravel, said that private bus operators act irresponsibly unmindful of the strict warnings of the hospital management. "This attitude of private bus operators is unbearable. Soon, legal action will be taken against those affecting the hassle-free movement of the ambulances,” he said.
When contacted, the private bus operators said that "They were option-less but queue in front of the hospital’s new gate as there was not much space for the buses to stop at the allocated stand. At least five to ten buses stop over in front of the hospital as it was one of the busiest routes in the city".
"This apart, we also have targets to achieve. So, we end up extending our wait by a few more minutes to increase the passenger count, they explained. Even private bus drivers suggested shifting the bus stop to a spacious place to put an end to this issue", a private his driver noted.