Road Safety: 128 Buses Found With Blocked Emergency Exits

Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh): A week-long statewide drive against buses violating safety norms found 128 buses with emergency exit doors blocked by passenger seats, while a total of 4,787 vehicles were found flouting various safety regulations, officials said on Monday.

During the drive, police checked 12,209 buses and collected penalties amounting to Rs 33 lakh from the violators.

The Police Training and Research Institute (PTRI) instructed all district units in the state to conduct a special drive to check emergency exits in buses from May 21 to May 27.

The PTRI launched the drive following multiple incidents in which emergency exit doors in buses were found blocked. Such violations could prove fatal in the event of a fire or any other emergency.

Police have forwarded proposals to the Transport Department regarding the fitness of the buses found violating the norms.

The department cancelled the fitness certificates of 22 buses, leading to the cancellation of their registrations. It has also asked the transport commissioner to take strict action in the remaining cases.

School bus checking drive begins tomorrow

A 10-day special drive to inspect school buses will begin across the state on Wednesday. Officials will check compliance with prescribed safety and security norms during the drive. Violators will face strict action.