Daijiworld Media Network - Mangalore (SHS)
Mangalore, May 2: The transport department on Thursday May 1 conducted raids and inspected buses plying in the district and booked as many as 18 cases against both private and KSRTC buses for not installing emergency exit doors.
Following successive accidents involving Volvo buses, the state transport department decided to make it mandatory for all long-route buses including tourist buses to fit emergency doors. These doors, which are in addition to emergency exits, are being provided in the middle for conventional Volvo buses and at the rear for multi-axle Volvo buses.
The officials on May 1 inspected government and private buses and booked cases against three KSRTC buses and 15 private transporters.
Earlier the state transport department had twice extended the deadline for the installation of exit doors. A study of the previous year’s accidents had revealed that emergency doors would have brought down the mortality rate. While the transport department initially fixed February 20 as last date for fixing of emergency doors, and extended it to April 30 in view of time needed for this exercise.
The officials said that the raid operations would continue for the next few days. Legal action would be initiated after taking the buses into custody if the owners failed to implement the orders.