Kurnool bus fire: Crackdown on private buses; 21 cases booked, Rs 69,000 collected in fines in Hyderabad
The crackdown aimed to ensure compliance with vehicle fitness and safety norms, including fire safety measures
By - Newsmeter Network
Hyderabad: Telangana transport authorities booked as many as 21 private buses and collected Rs 69,000 in fines over the weekend for safety and fitness violations, part of a crackdown triggered by the deadly Kurnool bus fire in neighbouring Andhra Pradesh.
Zone-wise violations
DTC Ranga Reddy: 7 cases; Rs 35,000 fines; buses operating without fire extinguishers.
RTA South Zone: 11 cases; Rs 31,000 fines; offences included absence of fire extinguishers and staff uniforms.
RTA East Zone: 3 cases; Rs 3,000 fines.
Massive enforcement drive
Officials said nearly 500 inter-state private buses operate from Hyderabad daily, highlighting the scale of the inspections. The crackdown aimed to ensure compliance with vehicle fitness and safety norms, including fire safety measures.
Minister calls for inter-state coordination
Telangana Transport Minister Ponnam Prabhakar said he would meet his Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka counterparts to devise measures to prevent bus accidents amid heavy inter-state traffic. He warned that private bus operators failing to maintain safety standards would face strict action.
Speeding and safety under scrutiny
“The owners should follow rules and ensure that buses do not overspeed, as private buses are known to travel at high speed,” the minister said.
He stressed that strict enforcement is essential to avoid tragedies like the October 24th Kurnool incident, where a private bus carrying 44 passengers collided with a motorcycle at Chinnatekuru village, resulting in 19 deaths. Several passengers escaped the blaze.
