A bus driver in India, who let a monkey behind the wheel of his vehicle was suspended Saturday after a video of the incident went viral, sparking outrage and humour.
The 36-year-old driver is seen smiling and patting the langur monkey as it sits atop the wheel of the moving bus in footage shot by a passenger.
The driver – M Prakash was taken off duty for allowing the monkey to sit on the steering wheel and handle it, T.S Latha, a spokesperson for the government’s road transport corporation in southern Karnataka state told AFP.
The safety of passengers is a priority and the driver put the lives of passengers at risk by allowing the monkey to handle the steering wheel.
The incident took place on Monday, however, authorities only learnt of it after the video was shared on social media, Latha added. There were around 30 passengers on the bus at the time though none of them complained. Local media reports say the langur boarded with a passenger and was at the wheel for almost ten minutes.