Bus Driver in India Suspended After Allowing Monkey to Drive His Bus

October 9, 2018

A bus driver in India found himself in hot water after a video of him allowing a monkey to take control of his vehicle’s steering wheel emerged online.

The bus driver from southern Karnataka state identified as M. Prakash was reportedly suspended for placing the safety of dozens of his passengers in the small primate’s hands on October 1.

In the now-viral footage. a monkey can be seen holding the steering wheel of the bus which was travelling from Devanagari to Bharamasagara.

The pair appeared to be competent driving partners as Prakash is shown keeping at least one hand on the wheel at all times while the monkey kept his attention on the road throughout the video.

The government’s road transport corporation reportedly learned of the driver’s questionable actions only after the video went viral, according to the BBC.

While none of his passengers complained of the driver’s careless stunt, his employers believed that he deserved to get punished with a suspension.

A spokesman from the bus company released a statement saying that the safety of passengers cannot be put at risk by “allowing a monkey on the steering wheel.”

Indian netizens, however, were more forgiving towards the driver, with many of them expressing delight over the popular short clip.

“So sweet. Why suspend. He should have been warned not to repeat this,” one netizen wrote.

Witnesses say that a passenger boarded the bus with the monkey but refused to sit anywhere but up front.

The driver then decided to have some fun and allowed the animal to sit on the steering wheel until it reached its destination and disembarked from the bus with its owner.

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