Hyderabad:
For the sixth day on Saturday, transport authorities in Andhra Pradesh continued their drive against privately run commuter and school buses plying in violation of rules following an accident last week when 30 people, including many IT professionals, were killed while travelling to Shirdi.
The Road Transport Authority (RTA) officials seized buses since Saturday morning in Hyderabad and other parts of the state which were plying in violation of rules. As many as 99 buses belonged to private schools while nine vehicles were of private travel operators.
Officials said 22 buses each were seized in Hyderabad and Srikakulam districts. Large scale checking of vehicles was taken up in north coastal districts of Srikakulam, Vijayanagaram and Visakhapatnam.
The RTA officials have so far seized 207 travel and 310 school buses for violation of various norms. The vehicles plying without fitness certificates, permits and other necessary documents were seized.
The drive was launched after 30 passengers were killed when a bus of a private operator fell off a bridge in Maharashtra on June 16. The bus was on its way from Hyderabad to Shirdi in Maharashtra and carried a number of young IT professionals.
Following the crackdown, several private operators have stopped plying buses. The operators alleged that the drive was badly affecting their business and causing hardship to people. They claim to be providing service to people as state-owned Road Transport Corporation (RTC) is unable to meet the demand.
The RTA authorities, however, made it clear that the drive would continue till all the vehicles plying in violation of rules were seized.