In the last week several people have been killed by public buses in Delhi. As usual the freeloading press is full of articles about killer buses and the politicians have promised tough action against 'Blueline' buses which are privately owned and operated. Predictably bus owners went on strike yesterday causing enormous inconvenience to the public and windfall profits for auto rickshaw drivers. In all this no one is speaking the truth which is that buses do not kill but drivers and owners do. Buses and trucks are poorly maintained to save costs and it is not unusual to see a fully laden bus or truck pointing at an angle to the direction in which it is moving. This is probably due to its chassis having been badly damaged in a previous accident and a new body built on the same. This would make it difficult to control especially if fully laden. Secondly every vehicle licensing office or RTO is full of touts who promise to get you any licence for a fee and obviously commercial drivers find it easier to pay the touts to avoid any hassle or scrutiny. In Delhi it is mandatory to provide prints of both index fingers to get a driving licence so it should be easy to check the antecedents of any applicant for a commercial licence. Also the vehicle should have a thorough check by automobile experts after an accident and the owner severely punished for running defective vehicles. Easy you say? Lives more important than money you say? Buses and trucks are owned by politicians or friends and relatives and they are licensed to kill. So there.