Bus drivers cause over 200 deaths in Russia between Jan.-Sept.

MOSCOW, November 7 (RIA Novosti) - Over 200 people died in the first 9 months of 2009 in accidents caused by bus drivers across Russia, the head of the country's traffic police said on Saturday.

"In the first 9 months of 2009, there were over 3,000 traffic accidents caused by bus drivers," Viktor Kiryanov said. "In these accidents, 224 people died and almost 5,000 people were injured."

Kiryanov urged regional traffic authorities to take measures to improve inspections of buses. He also noted that the number of buses under private ownership was increasing.