Vadodara's newly launched PM e-bus service had been running for just three days when a video of one of its drivers filming a reel while at the wheel spread rapidly across social media. The footage showed the driver gripping the steering wheel with one hand and holding his mobile phone in the other, recording himself with passengers seated inside the moving bus. The lapse set off a wave of public anger and ultimately cost him his job on the very day he was celebrating his birthday.
The obsession with creating reels for social media has grown to the point where people film themselves in almost any situation: while touring, eating, or even driving. The urge to go viral, often to a trending or timeless song, leads some people to discard even the most basic road safety norms. The Vadodara incident is a vivid illustration of just how dangerous that impulse can become when it takes hold behind the wheel of a vehicle carrying other people.
What the Viral Footage Showed
The clip that spread across social media platforms made the driver's recklessness impossible to overlook. One hand was on the steering wheel while the other held a phone with the camera pointed at him, and the bus was moving throughout. He was not occasionally glancing away from the road; his attention was fixed entirely on the screen. Passengers were on board during this time, putting every one of them at risk because of the driver's distraction.
Online Backlash and a Hurried Deletion
The moment the video began circulating, social media users responded with sharp criticism. Commenters piled on the driver, calling out his irresponsible behavior and urging him not to repeat it. As the backlash mounted, the driver deleted the reel from his social media account in an attempt to limit the damage. That move came too late. By then, his profile had already been scrutinized, and it was found to contain several other reels of a similar nature recorded in comparable situations.
Civic Body Acts, Company Fires Driver on His Birthday
As the incident continued to grow in scale, the Vadodara Municipal Corporation stepped in and issued a formal notice to JBM Company, the firm contracted to operate the PM e-bus service in the city. Municipal official Jatan Badheka confirmed that once the notice was received, the company wasted no time in terminating the driver with immediate effect. Adding an ironic twist to the entire episode, the termination happened to fall on the very day the driver was marking his own birthday.
Deeper Questions About Public Transport Safety
The incident has reopened a broader conversation about safety standards within Vadodara's public transport system. Using a mobile phone while driving a public vehicle is considered a clear and direct violation of passenger safety regulations. This is far from the first time the city has witnessed reel-making collide dangerously with traffic rules. Multiple previous cases have seen individuals in Vadodara take serious risks on public roads in pursuit of viral content, and this latest episode, occurring on only the third day of a newly launched government bus service, has added fresh urgency to those concerns.
