The takeaway for the AP State Road Transport Corporation (APSRTC) officials, among other things, from the recent road accident near Singh Nagar flyover that killed three and injured seven, is that the polyamide pipes fitted to the air brake system should be immediately replaced with new ones when they develop a crack. The practice until now was to ‘repair’ the pipe by cutting off the affected part and joining it using a metallic sleeve. On the previous night of the fateful accident on October 27 also, the authorities repeated the act. Following a complaint of ‘air down’ in the brake system, the mechanic on duty ‘joined’ the pipe after cutting off the damaged segment.
“The makers of the bus, Ashok Leyland, did not indicate the lifespan of the pipe. Whenever there is a problem, our people join it, tightening a sleeve around it. But in this particular incident, the air leaked out of the pipe indicating that the mechanic did not do a thorough job,” said M. Malakondaiah, Vice-Chairman and Managing Director of the Corporation. Metallic pipes were replaced with polyamide pipes in buses operated on the Compressed Natural Gas in the APSRTC fleet in 2007 mainly to avoid the problem of rust and to safeguard the braking system. An air compressor pumps the air into storage tanks to be used in the brake system while the storage tanks hold the compressed or pressurised air to be used by the braking system. Using the triple-valve principle, air builds up inside the brake pipes or air lines, releasing the brakes. Virtually all of the road-going vehicles equipped with air brakes have a graduated release system,” explained an official from the mechanical wing of the organisation.
Axe of suspension
The driver and the mechanic have been suspended for ‘lack of presence of mind’ and for dereliction of duty respectively. “We have now decided to replace the pipes immediately after they show any sign of damage with new ones,” said Mr. Malakondaiah. He said all buses in the RTC fleet were in working condition barring 5 % which would be replaced soon.
He also spoke about improving the Telugu Velugu services run mainly in the rural pockets.
Hitherto, he said, the buses would be replaced with new ones after covering 5 lakh km distance.
The organisation has also pressed into service an ‘Economy Express’ bus which is compartmentalised into AC and non-AC sections. It is being operated from Ongole to Vijayawada.
