Floods: Suspended Kerala bus driver mocks bosses

Thiruvananthapuram: A bus driver in Kerala, who was suspended for “imperiling the lives of passengers” by driving through a flooded road in Poonjar in Kottayam district, has gone public with his criticism of his bosses for their decision.

Jaideep Sebastian, a driver with the Kerala State Road Transport Corporation drove a bus through a flooded area near the St Mary’s Church, Poonjar, on way to Erattupetta on Saturday.

While navigating the waters, the bus came to a stop and passengers had to be evacuated by local residents as waters reached up to the passenger window sides of the bus.

Sebastian was suspended later on Saturday by the KSRTC officials, on instructions from the state transport minister Antony Raju.

Sebastian, however, chose to hit back in public against his bosses, saying he was suspended for actually trying to save the passengers and that he cared two hoots for being suspended.

He wrote on social media: “The superhit news now in newspapers, too, The guys who were reluctant to grant me leave when I asked for it, can now get someone else to drive. Or let him drive himself. Let me look after my household and get some rest.”

Sebastian added more colour to his post with a video showing himself playing the tabla.

Immediately on his suspension, the driver had posted another message, saying his bosses should rather go and help some poor people instead of helping him with a suspension.

The video of the bus getting caught in the floodwaters and local residents helping the passengers out of the bus had gone viral, but Sebastian argued that he was actually helping the passengers and that he had not lost control during the entire episode.