The High Court has began hearing an appeal filed by a bus driver contesting his conviction over an accident in 2019 that killed a Ukraininan woman who was out jogging in suburban Hulhumale’.
Valentina Riako, 31, had been out jogging with a friend when she was run over by a Maldives Transport and Contracting Company (MTCC) bus on May 6, 2019, after the driver fell asleep behind the wheel, accidently accelerated, and lost control of the bus.
The bus driver was sentenced to prison and told to pay a fine of MVR 1 million in ‘diya’ or blood money as compensation to the victim’s family by the Hulhumale’ Magistrate Court.
The driver has appealed the conviction with the High Court, which began hearings in the case this week.
Challenging the conviction, the bus driver said that he had no intention of causing an accident that resulted in the death of a person. He also questioned whether the victim was entitled to blood money under Islamic Sharia.
The case is being heard by a bench of three High Court judges.
MTCC had faced heavy criticism over the fatal crash – which intensified after second accident took place less than three days later, on May 9, 2019, when a bus driver again fell asleep behind the wheels and crashed into a parked taxi car and motorcycle.
It sparked allegations the accident resulted from sleep deprivation and exhaustion of bus drivers due to overwork. However, these allegations were denied by the company, which insisted that the working conditions of bus drivers were favorable, and that though the official working hours of a bus driver may be eight hours, they drove only a maximum of five hours and spent the remaining hours refueling and doing maintenance work.
Following the accidents, MTCC launched an awareness program for its bus drivers to re-familiarize them with traffic laws and regulations as well as road safety measures. The company also installed CCTV cameras inside buses.