Police try to pacify the mob after they set a bus ablaze near Mahatma Gandhi Setu in Patna City on Thursday. Picture by Sachin

Patna, March 17: A speeding Hajipur-bound overloaded bus today crushed a middle-aged man to death around 11am, triggering violent protest.

The death of Mohammed Naseem, a motor mechanic and a resident of Raja Bazaar area, led to chaos at Mahatma Gandhi Setu.

Irate mob set ablaze three buses soon after the mishap.

The protesters also smashed the windscreens of at least six vehicles besides blocking the road for more than an hour.

The residents of the area said the buses plying from the Mithapur bus stand to Hajipur indulge in rash driving.

Their drivers flout traffic rules, often endangering lives of other commuters.

“This incident is an example of rash driving. The road towards Hajipur was clogged and the bus driver suddenly decided to take the wrong lane. Two other buses, also on way to Hajipur, followed. As the first bus accelerated, it brought Naseem under its wheels, who was moving by the side of the bridge. The accident occurred near Sonali petrol pump area. Naseem has a shop nearby,” a police officer said.

The cop added that the bus driver, after running Naseem, tried to flee with the vehicle. But the mob stopped the bus about 300m from the accident spot.

“The driver and the bus conductor managed to run away. The mob asked all the passengers to get down and then set the bus on fire. They then caught hold of the other two buses, too, and burnt them. Later, they smashed the windscreens of other vehicles coming along the way. There was a heavy jam on the bridge,” the police officer added.

The police had to intervene and pacify the mob after which they let the traffic move again.

“Such accidents have become a daily affair. These buses to Hajipur start from the Mithapur bus stand in numbers and race with each other over the bridge in order to make more trips. One just needs to cross the bridge to reach Hajipur. They don’t care anything about the traffic rules and drive along the wrong side. The police, too, haven’t been able to contain the problem,” a resident of the area said.

The police said they had patrol units to keep check on the speeding buses.

“We catch hold of bus drivers whenever we see them violating rules. But the buses plying on this route are a problem. The police are trying to contain the problem. The transport department should also step in to bring things under control,” the police officer said.