Hindustan Times (Lucknow)

Now, round-the-year drive to check illegal plying of buses

After Unnao mishap, minister conducts surprise check in Azamgarh, over a dozen buses sans permit seized

: A day after the Unnao bus accident that claimed 18 lives, UP’s transport department led by minister Dayashanka­r Singh swung into action and announced a slew of measures to prevent such mishaps in future.

The department decided to launch a round-the-year drive to check the illegal operation of buses in the state. Buses coming from other states will be stopped on the border to check if they are complying with traffic and safety regulation­s, the minister told HT.

The transport minister conducted a surprise inspection in Azamgarh on Thursday, resulting in the seizure of over a dozen buses found operating without permits and violating safety regulation­s. Many buses parked on the wrong side of the road were seized by the transport department. “Action will be taken against the owners of buses, if these vehicles do not have fitness certificat­e and permit,” he added.

It was found that buses with registrati­on number of Nagaland, Andhra Pradesh, Arunachal Pradesh, Bihar and Jharkhand were operating illegally in UP. The minister ordered a probe into the operation of buses illegally in various districts of UP.

A preliminar­y inquiry into the Unnao accident revealed that the ill-fated double decker bus was operating without valid documents and had flouted traffic laws.

Buses coming from Delhi will be checked on Noida border, those coming from Bihar will be checked in Ballia, Kushinagar, Chandauli and Varanasi while buses from Madhya Pradesh will be checked in Chitrakoot, Jhansi. The buses coming from neighbouri­ng states will be stopped at all entry points on Uttar Pradesh border for checking, emphasised Singh.

District transport officer Radhey Shyam and regional transport officer Anand Chaudhary were directed to probe into the operation of buses without valid documents and submit report. Action will be also taken against officers found involved in the illegal operation of buses, he said.

Buses have been found violating permit conditions by operating as stage carriage while holding a contract carriage permit, said Singh, adding that the violation clearly showed lapses in enforcemen­t of rules that allowed buses to continue operations unchecked. The buses had permit to ferry tourists or reserve parties, but they were found transporti­ng passengers in various districts, he said.

He said in majority of accidents, it was found that the vehicles were parked on the wrong side of the road leading to the mishap. Teams of transport department will be deployed at toll plazas on highways and expressway­s to check documents of buses.

Besides, teams of UP Expressway Industrial Developmen­t Authority (UPEIDA), mining department and other enforcemen­t agencies will be stationed at toll plazas to check passenger and commercial vehicles, he added.

A three-member team had been constitute­d to probe into the Unnao accident and action will be taken against the transport department officers involved in running buses illegally in the state, said Singh.