HYDERABAD: Protest notwithstanding Andhra Pradesh road transport authorities continued cracking down on private buses operators and seized 11 buses on Tuesday taking to the number of buses confiscated for violating norms to 1500.
The clampdown on the private operators began October 30 Mahabubnagar Volvo bus accident which claimed 45 lives. In a similar incident seven were killed near Haveri in Karnataka in November.
The RTA officials said as they conducted the drive on Bangalore-Hyderabad highway on Tuesday the buses belong to different private travel agencies were found to be violating safety rules.
The officials had seized over 35 private buses plying between Bengaluru and Hyderabad for violating permit rules on NH 44 in Anantapur district on Monday.
"We are thoroughly checking buses at various points and check posts and initiating action," said T Raghunath, joint transport commissioner.
Coming under severe criticism after the Volvo bus belong to Jabbar Travels was gutted after hitting a culvert on Bangalore-Hyderabad near Hyderabad killing 45 passengers on board on October 30, the AP government cracked whip on the private operators. And the officials said 1500 buses had been seized so far and the owners had been prosecuted.
The government has even banned on online booking of tickets for private buses hitting ticketing companies like Redbus and Abhibus. The transport department authorities claim that under Indian law, the private players are only given permission to ply group tours between places and are not allowed to sell tickets individually.
In protest of this, many of the private operators have taken their buses off the roads even as they are contemplating taking the AP state government to the court on charges of harassment.
"As the seizure of the buses is unlawful, we are planning to move the court against the AP government with a prayer of clarifying the rules," said Prasanna Saunshikar, assistant general manager of Vijayananda Roadlines Limited (VRL).
He said 125 buses of VRL had been seized and his company was in not in a position to carry out service and run buses from Bangalore to Hyderabad and other cities in AP.
"Before appealing in the court we want to talk to the government, but we are been given audience," said Raheem Pasha, senior manager in Jabbar Travels.
On their part, the officials of AP road transport authorities justified their action saying they were just enforcing the existing rules in a strict manner.
"There have been certain serious violations. The buses have to have at least two emergency exists where as none of the buses plying between Bangalore and Hyderabad comply with it," said Raghunath, "What is wrong in seizing them and sending the owner to the court?"
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