Hyderabad: Transport authorities in Telangana on Sunday continued their crackdown on private buses for violations of safety and fitness norms.
A transport department official told PTI that 14 cases were booked for offences such as inadequate safety measures, and penalties amounting to Rs 46,000 were collected.
The inspections began on Saturday morning following the October 24 bus fire in neighbouring Andhra Pradesh that left 19 people dead.
Nearly 500 inter-state private travel buses operate from Hyderabad daily.
Telangana Transport Minister Ponnam Prabhakar had said he would meet his Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka counterparts to frame measures to prevent bus accidents amid heavy inter-state traffic.
He warned private bus operators of strict action if they failed to maintain vehicle fitness and comply with statutory regulations.
"The owners should follow rules and ensure that the buses do not overspeed, as private buses are known to travel at high speed," he added.
As many as 19 passengers travelling in the private bus and a motorcyclist were charred to death in the early hours of October 24 after the bus collided with a two-wheeler at Chinnatekuru village in Kurnool district of Andhra Pradesh.
The bus had 44 passengers, several of whom managed to escape the blaze.
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