Maharashtra: Transport department intensifies drive against erring buses

After the Nashik fire incident in which 13 persons died, the Maharashtra State transport department has intensified its drive against buses which are flouting norms.

The department has caught 48 private buses ferrying extra passengers (more than permitted) and 139 running without fitness certificates. Apart from that during a special checking drive between October 9 to October 12, 151 private buses were found running without proper emergency exits.

"Nearly 50 regional transport officers across the state have been provided special squads, vehicles and equipment to check overloading, fitness, the status of mandatory installation of road safety devices, permits and licences of buses. Appropriate action is being taken against the violators" said a senior officer of state transport department.

"We checked 4,560 buses, of which 1,181 were found flouting rules and fines of Rs71.78 lakh were recovered," said the officer.

"Out of these 1182 buses, 139 were found running without fitness certificates; 256 without road safety measures like reflectors and tail lights; 17 were found running with illegal modification inside vehicles; 48 found ferrying extra passengers; 75 were found running without paying taxes; 151 were found running without proper emergency exits and 491 have no firefighting equipment and emergency exits," said the officer, adding that rest were caught violating other traffic norms like illegally carrying goods etc.

Asked about the most affected route the officer said it depends on the volume of traffic and varies according to the season. For example, at present, traffic load is very high on Mumbai-Nashik, Pune-Nashik, Mumbai-Pune, Mumbai Konka and other routes connecting the city to rural areas. Hence most cases were registered on the above siad routes.