KSRTC launches state-wide safety audit after Kurnool bus fire accident

Following the tragic backstage autobus occurrence successful Andhra Pradesh’s Kurnool territory connected October 24, the Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC) has launched a broad information audit of its fleet crossed the State.

A elder KSRTC authoritative said that depot-level teams person already begun inspecting buses, with peculiar absorption connected exigency exits, occurrence extinguishers, first-aid kits, and different information equipment. “All buses are being checked to guarantee that the occurrence extinguishers are successful moving information and that the first-aid kits are afloat stocked. The information and accessibility of exigency exits are besides being verified,” the authoritative explained.

To code imaginable risks

In summation to information checks, KSRTC has begun reviewing the renewal and attraction schedules of its vehicles to place and code imaginable risks. The authoritative said that the ongoing inspection covers some time and nighttime services, ensuring that each buses particularly long-distance ones conscionable occurrence information standards.

In a enactment dated October 28, Transport Minister Ramalinga Reddy directed the managing directors of the KSRTC, BMTC, NWKRTC and KKRTC to behaviour contiguous information audits.

Referring to the Kurnool tragedy, Mr. Reddy stressed the request for heightened vigilance to forestall akin incidents successful Karnataka. He recalled a akin mishap adjacent Haveri territory during his erstwhile tenure arsenic Transport Minister, erstwhile a backstage autobus caught fire, claiming respective lives. That incidental had prompted a state-wide information inspection of astir 50,000 vehicles, including state-run, private, tourist, and schoolhouse buses, pursuing which further exigency exits were installed.

Mr. Reddy further instructed officials to guarantee that nary flammable oregon explosive materials are transported on with rider luggage oregon commercialized goods.

Safety audit

As portion of the existent audit, KSRTC has begun checking the functionality of occurrence detection and suppression systems (FDSS) and occurrence alarm and extortion systems (FAPS) installed successful buses. Officials are verifying that these systems are decently maintained and that drivers and conductors are trained to run them successful lawsuit of emergencies.

The corp has besides mandated that each night-service vehicles indispensable transportation astatine slightest 2 occurrence extinguishers of 5 litres each, portion different buses should person extinguishers arsenic per prescribed norms. “Electrical wiring successful each autobus is being examined to guarantee determination are nary escaped oregon damaged connections. Additionally, audits are being carried retired to corroborate that artillery cut-off switches are operational and that immoderate defective ones are repaired immediately,” authoritative said.

In air-conditioned buses, KSRTC teams are ensuring that exigency hammers utilized to interruption windows during emergencies are installed and easy accessible. If missing, depot officials person been asked to acceptable them earlier the buses are dispatched for service.

“Drivers and unit person been strictly warned against lighting mosquito coils oregon immoderate unfastened flames during nighttime journeys. Before immoderate conveyance is sent for operation, its exigency doors, rider doors, and driver’s doorway volition beryllium checked for creaseless functioning,” the authoritative added.

Furthermore, the corp volition statesman regular audio and video announcements astatine each large autobus stations, reminding passengers not to transportation inflammable oregon explosive materials connected board. “The run aims to rise nationalist consciousness and forestall unsafe practices that could endanger lives,” officials said.