Hyderabad: Passenger safety in the private transport sector continues to take a backseat, with repeated violations surfacing even after deadly accidents. Less than a week after the Kurnool bus fire that claimed 20 lives, the Regional Transport Authority (RTA) has found several private buses operating in Hyderabad without basic fire safety gear.In the past five days alone, transport officials booked dozens of cases for missing fire extinguishers, blocked emergency exits, and unauthorised seat additions and seized nine buses for lack of proper documentation. Yet, most of these buses were back on the roads within hours after paying meagre fines.Under existing rules, operating without fire extinguishers or detection systems attracts a penalty of just Rs 2,000 — an amount less than the cost of a 5-kg extinguisher. For structural alterations such as adding extra seats, the fine is capped at Rs 5,000.“Since Oct 25, over 200 private buses have been inspected across Greater Hyderabad. The most common lapses are missing fire extinguishers and lack of first aid kits. The Motor Vehicle Act limits our fine amount. However, several private operators have now volunteered to install fire detection systems and educate passengers on safety,” said C Ramesh, joint transport commissioner, Hyderabad.On the other hand, experts allege that enforcement remains lax, especially on the use of speed governor devices, meant to restrict vehicle speed to 80 kmph. Many sleeper and luxury buses continue to operate without functional speed governors, often cruising at 100–120 kmph.“These devices are frequently removed or tampered with to save travel time on long routes. This is among the most overlooked yet dangerous violations,” said Vinod Kumar Kanumala from the Indian Federation of Road Safety.Adding to the concern is the poor build quality of many sleeper buses. Experts say a large number are converted or refurbished second-hand vehicles, locally fabricated into sleeper versions for Rs 25– Rs 30 lakh, a fraction of the Rs 1 crore cost for factory-built models.While officials have promised stricter checks, road safety experts insist that higher fines and stronger enforcement are essential. “Safety cannot be optional. Unless rules are backed by deterrent penalties, such tragedies will continue,” Kanumala warned.ACTION ON PRIVATE BUSES THIS YEAR Cases against bus operators: 9,000 Number of buses seized: 890Compound fees collected: Rs 2.6 croreTaxes & penalty collected: Rs 15 crore
