Mumbai: In the wake of a private bus catching fire after hitting a truck in Nashik, transport officials have carried out a special drive against illegal bus operations on Mumbai-Pune and Mumbai-Kolhapur routes besides a few others in the city.
During this drive, 188 buses were found violating the rules, especially pertaining to overloading, road fitness, road tax and fares. A total penalty of Rs5.5 lakh was realised during the drive. The checks were conducted in the first two weeks this month at Dadar and Navi Mumbai.
In the October fire incident, around a dozen passengers were killed and over 40 were injured after a Mumbai-bound private sleeper bus dashed into a trailer truck and caught fire in Nashik. The bus was carrying 53 passengers as against the mandated number of 30. A state transport department official said they will continue to conduct such drives.
