NWKRTC Bus Rolls Through Darkness: Passengers Light the Way with Their Phones

In the quiet hours of an evening in Dharwad district, a public‑transport bus belonging to the North Western Karnataka Road Transport Corporation (NWKRTC) found itself in a rather unusual predicament – it was cruising without any headlights.

According to several eyewitnesses, the vehicle had left Hubballi around 8 p.m. bound for the small town of Attigere. Somewhere near the Saunshi stop in Kundgol taluk, a short‑circuit apparently fried the front wiring, and the headlights simply went out.

What happened next looked more like a scene from a low‑budget film than a routine bus ride. Passengers, startled but determined, started switching on the flashlights on their mobile phones. One by one, their tiny beams were angled toward the windshield, creating a patchwork of light that helped the driver glimpse the road ahead.

Instead of pulling over or waiting for a replacement vehicle, the driver chose to press on. He steered the bus through the pitch‑black stretch to Gudgeri, a distance of roughly 11‑12 kilometres. The journey, which would normally take fifteen minutes, stretched to between forty‑five minutes and an hour because of the makeshift illumination.

A commuter captured the whole episode on video at the Gudgeri stop. In the shaky footage you can hear a passenger describing how the bus was being “guided by phone torches,” and the driver himself explains that a wiring fault knocked out the entire lighting system.

The clip spread quickly on social media, igniting a debate. Some users questioned the prudence of allowing a public bus to continue without proper lights, especially on a poorly lit rural road. Others praised the driver for his quick thinking and for not abandoning the passengers who were already on board.

The incident has shone a spotlight on two larger issues: the state of maintenance for public‑service vehicles in Karnataka, and the challenges drivers face when unexpected mechanical failures arise in the middle of a route. Safety advocates argue that a replacement bus should have been arranged, while budget constraints and the urgency of the situation may have influenced the decision to keep moving.

Regardless of where you stand, the image of ordinary commuters turning their phones into improvised headlights is a stark reminder of how ordinary people can adapt when circumstances go dark.