Transport officials in Telangana seize three modified private buses from Arunachal Pradesh

The Transport Department officials on Saturday seized three private sleeper buses registered in Arunachal Pradesh during a special enforcement drive. The seized vehicles were fitted with glass chambers which officials said posed a serious threat to passenger safety.

The department said that the development has been communicated to relevant authorities in Arunachal Pradesh. Information in connection with the registration, fitness certificate and permit too has been sent. The Transport Department has requested authorities in that State to examine whether these buses conform to approved designs, prescribed safety standards and provisions of the Motor Vehicles Act, and to initiate appropriate action if violations are established.

The action comes amid a wider crackdown on long-distance private buses operating in the State. Following a tragedy in which passengers aboard a private travels bus registered in Rayagada in Odisha were killed, Transport Minister Ponnam Prabhakar last October had proposed an interstate meeting to develop a mechanism so as to monitor buses operating on All-India tourist permits.

The department, reiterated the National Human Rights Commission’s concerns over enclosed cabins and structural modifications that could obstruct evacuation and rescue operations during accidents or fires. Studies by the Central Institute of Road Transport, Pune, they said, have also flagged such modifications as a safety risk.

Officials said prescribed safety norms for sleeper coaches require adequate emergency exits, accessible escape routes and unobstructed passenger movement within buses. Glass chambers and similar modifications can impede evacuation and hamper rescue efforts during emergencies.