AP bus fire tragedy: Officials crack down on private buses in Telangana

A day after the tragic bus fire accident that killed 20 people in neighbouring Andhra Pradesh, transport authorities in Telangana on Saturday checked a number of private buses and seized a bus for alleged violation of rules.

The checks were carried out on buses entering Hyderabad and 54 Vehicle Check Reports (VCRs) were generated, on Saturday morning.

A senior transport department official said a bus involved in multiple violations, including absence of fire extinguisher, non-payment of tax and carrying merchandise goods, was seized in Medchal-Malkajgiri district here.

Nearly 500 inter-state private travel buses operate from Hyderabad on a daily basis, he told PTI.

Telangana Transport Minister Ponnam Prabhakar on September 24 said he would hold a meeting with his Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka counterparts to devise measures to prevent bus accidents, given the high volume of daily bus travel between Telangana and Karnataka via Andhra Pradesh.

He warned private bus operators of strict action if they showed negligence in maintaining vehicle fitness and adhering to statutory regulations.

The owners should follow rules and ensure that the buses do not overspeed (as the private buses are known to travel at a high speed), Prabhakar said.

As many as 19 passengers travelling in the private bus and a motor bike rider were charred to death in the wee hours of September 24 after it collided with a two-wheeler at Chinnatekuru village of Kurnool district in neighbouring Andhra Pradesh. There were 44 passengers in the bus and several managed to escape the fire.