Govt seizes 20 private buses for overspeeding in AP

Vijayawada: Cracking the whip against the errant private bus operators plying in the state, the AP transport department has seized a total of 20 private travel buses found to be overspeeding by tampering with the speed locks since the launch of the dedicated Command Control Centre on April 1 at the transport department headquarters in Vijayawada.The transport department has begun strict enforcement measures against private travel buses, tightening the noose around operators who violate speed limits. As per the information, the authorities are booking speed violation cases against buses plying exceeding the 80 km/h speed limit, besides seizing the buses found to be travelling at dangerous speeds over 100 km/h.According to transport department officials, nearly 2,000 private travel buses operate daily from the state, with around 1,600 already fitted with GPS tracking systems. These vehicles are being monitored in real time from a command control centre set up in Vijayawada, where regional transport office officials keep a close watch on speed violations.As per Rule 118 of the Central Motor Vehicles Rules, buses are not permitted to exceed 80 km/h. However, officials found that some operators tampered with speed-limiting devices to push speeds up to 100-110 km/h, posing a serious threat to passenger safety."At present, monitoring is being carried out manually, but an automated tracking system is under development and is expected to be implemented within a month. Stringent enforcement measures by the transport department have already brought most private buses in AP under the prescribed speed limit," RTO Sunil, who is overseeing the command control centre operations, told TOI.The officials added that the department is also exploring ways to regulate the speed of buses entering the state from neighbouring regions, including Telangana, Tamil Nadu and Karnataka, to ensure uniform road safety standards.