We are all aware of the condition of private buses and how they hoodwink the Regional Transport Office (RTO) and police officials, putting at risk the lives of ordinary citizens, who are forced to take this means of transport either because it is cheaper or is more frequent and stops at all the right places.
We have seen many lives being lost not just in the recent accident , but in many accidents in the past too because of the sheer negligence of the regional transport and police officials, who allow vehicles that are not fit to operate out on the roads. Unfortunately, they go scot free each time, escaping the punishment that should be their due.
Many buses don’t even have proper emergency exits or doors for passengers to get out from in case of emergencies. They also often lack first aid kits and fire extinguishers. In some accidents passengers have been burnt to death inside buses either because the emergency door either did not exist or did not operate.
Sadly, there are absolutely no checks and balances although these buses ply both in the cities and on their outskirts to small towns.
— D.S.Rajshekar, President, Citizens Action Forum
