BENGALURU: Following the recent bus fire tragedy in Kurnool, Transport Minister Ramalinga Reddy on Sunday directed all state road transport corporations — including KSRTC, BMTC, NWKRTC, and KKRTC — to prohibit flammable/explosive cargo, prevent sleeping in luggage bays, and ensure emergency exits and window-breaking mechanisms are in place.
Reddy also stressed that any violations or negligence in the matter will attract strict action, emphasising that passenger safety is the government’s top priority, while conducting comprehensive safety audits of fleets.
He also highlighted that during his earlier tenure as transport minister, a fire broke out on a Jabbar Travels bus near Haveri, resulting in passenger casualties. Following that incident, he had launched a campaign to ensure emergency exit doors were installed and functional across around 50,000 vehicles, including state-run, contract, private tourist, vans, and school buses.
The directive emphasises strict adherence to safety measures, including preventing the carriage of flammable or explosive goods, ensuring emergency window-breaking tools in all AC buses, and prohibiting passengers from sleeping in luggage compartments. Fleet modernisation and maintenance checks are also to be reviewed.
Reddy warned that any negligence discovered during audits will attract strict action. “Passenger safety is paramount. Any loss of life is unacceptable,” he said, instructing the immediate formation of audit teams to enforce compliance.