Bus Accidents: When the Impatience of Certain Drivers Changes Lives

In the past two weeks, two bus-related incidents have been reported. On November 9, a 58-year-old woman fractured several ribs after being thrown inside a bus in Port-Louis due to a sudden maneuver by the driver. Then, on Monday, November 17, a 13-year-old girl was getting off a bus in Goodlands when the vehicle started moving. She fell and the bus ran over her foot. Both victims' lives have been drastically altered by these incidents.

Sylvie (a fictitious name), 58, from Triolet, has hardly slept since November 9. "I suffered three fractured ribs and two broken ribs," she says, explaining that she can’t find a comfortable position to sleep. What happened that day has left a deep impact on her.

“It was a Sunday. I had gone to Coromandel for a prayer. On the way back, I took a bus and got off at Victoria station. Then, I took another bus to get to the North station. I sat behind the driver and noticed he was driving very fast. We were almost at the station when, on a turn, he didn’t slow down. He turned abruptly, and I was thrown from my seat. I had nothing to hold onto. I fell heavily on my side. The driver didn’t even stop. Other passengers came to help me; they were in shock,” she recounts.

“The conductor approached to ask if I was okay, but I was in severe pain. Once I got off, my body aching, I went to see the station master to report the incident,” Sylvie continues. She then went to SSRN Hospital in Pamplemousses. “I had an X-ray, and a specialist was supposed to review the results. I was sent home and asked to return the next day. The first night, I couldn’t sleep because of the pain. The next day, the specialist informed me that I needed to be admitted immediately: I had three fractured ribs on the left and two broken ribs,” she explains.

Sylvie was kept under observation for a week before being discharged. However, the pain persists. She is on sick leave for a month. “I need to rest and do nothing. If I make any sudden movements, I risk puncturing a lung. My body is completely sore,” she says. She has filed a complaint with the police. “This driver had no regard for his passengers,” she laments.

The Future of a 13-Year-Old Girl Compromised

On November 17, another bus accident occurred in Goodlands, this time involving a 13-year-old girl. The young victim is still hospitalized at SSRN in Pamplemousses. Her mother is devastated. Seriously injured in the foot, she confides, "I don’t know when my daughter will be able to walk again."

She didn’t expect to experience such a fright. Around 8 a.m., this resident of Cottage called her daughter, who was on her way to Goodlands. But it wasn’t her daughter who answered. “A boy answered. He told me to come to Mediclinic Goodlands quickly,” she explains, still shaken.

Upon arrival, she found her daughter injured. “My daughter told me she hadn’t even gotten off when the bus started moving. She fell onto the road, and the bus ran over her foot,” the mother recounts. The teenager was transferred to SSRN Hospital for specialized care. “She had to undergo a delicate surgery,” she clarifies.

She condemns the recklessness of some drivers: “Sometimes people aren’t even seated yet, and the bus is already taking off.” The police in Goodlands have opened an investigation. The driver was questioned and then allowed to leave.