The Hyderabad-bound private bus catching fire at Chagallu in Prakasam district is not an isolated incident.
In a similar incident a fortnight ago, a private bus heading to Hyderabad from Mumbai caught fire at Chiragpally in Medak district. Not to mention, the Volvo tragedy at Palem in Mahabubnagar district in 2013, in which more than 45 passengers were charred to death.
Following the Palem incident, the APSRTC on its part had installed fire extinguishers and provided hammers in its buses to enable passengers to break glasses in case of an emergency.
The RTC authorities claim that the facilities are provided in 150 Indra, 40 garuda plus and 90 garuda buses. On the other hand, majority of private buses lack them.
Following the Palem tragedy, there have been discussions galore with bus manufacturers about design and safety measures, but nothing concrete was done except for suggesting a second door provision in buses, a senior Transport Department official said.
Most fire accidents occur owing to electrical short circuit in the AC system or some tinkering done for installing music system and television sets. “Bus manufacturers should take up the responsibility of proper maintenance and conduct regular inspections,” says another senior official. “During meetings with bus manufacturers in the past, there were discussions about installing fire sprinklers in buses, besides using more fire retardant and resistant materials in vehicles. But, all these will enhance vehicle cost, and manufacturers tend to be cautious,” he adds.
