JAGTIAL: Ten months after the infamous Kondagattu bus accident, overloaded RTC buses continue to ply State roads, putting hundred of lives in danger every day. Even the RTC authorities do not seem to have learnt a lesson from the September mishap when an overloaded bus travelling to Kondagattu tumbled down a gorge, claiming 65 lives.
On Wednesday, the road transport authorities (RTA) waylaid a Palle Velugu RTC bus (TS02UB0429) on the outskirts of Kodimyal. With a maximum capacity of 55, the bus was found with 125 passengers on board. When RTA officials stopped the bus, they found passengers standing on the footboard or hanging on to the door.
Speaking to Express, road transport officer Kishan Rao said that the bus was seized in order to avoid mishaps like the Kondagattu incident. “Even if an overloaded bus is travelling on a plain road there is a risk of an untoward incident. With such a crowd, RTC should start another bus,” he added.