The deadly fire in a bus in Lucknow on Thursday laid bare the rampant violations of not just permit conditions but also of critical safety and technical norms by private buses operating illegally as stage carriages. Five people—two of whom were children—were killed in the mishap.
Despite securing contract carriage or tourist permits, these buses brazenly pick up and drop off passengers at multiple destinations — a practice that has been continuing unchecked for years with UP State Road Transport Corporation (UPSRTC), which alone is authorised to operate buses on notified highways and expressways, failing to cater the demand.
In the latest case, the ill-fated bus obtained a special permit from Baghpat on May 10. The permit was valid till May 15. The bus obtained a temporary permit earlier, too, on several occasions. The bus, bearing registration no. UP17 AT6372, met with the accident on the Kisan Path resulting in the death of five passengers and injuries to 13 others. The fire was said to be caused by an electrical short circuit. Starting from Begusarai in Bihar, the bus was bound for Delhi.
Preliminary findings suggest a short circuit caused the fire, but the authorities are yet to determine whether the bus was booked for a group of passengers or if it was operating as a stage carriage illegally. A senior transport official who did not want to be identified, however, confirmed that the bus, like hundred others, violated the permit conditions.
{{/usCountry}}Preliminary findings suggest a short circuit caused the fire, but the authorities are yet to determine whether the bus was booked for a group of passengers or if it was operating as a stage carriage illegally. A senior transport official who did not want to be identified, however, confirmed that the bus, like hundred others, violated the permit conditions.
{{/usCountry}}“Hundreds of private buses, including double-decker, operate on highways and expressways, especially in the night. Since as per rules, they cannot get stage carriage permits to operate on routes that are reserved for UPSRTC, they obtain short-term contract carriage permits to operate on daily basis,” he explained. “The bus that caught fire on Thursday also violated the terms and conditions of the permit,” he claimed.
Gangalphal, a retired additional commissioner of Road Safety, said, “A bus with a contract carriage permit is not allowed to pick up or drop off passengers at multiple locations like stage carriages (e.g., public buses). It is meant for transporting a specific group of passengers as per a pre-arranged contract from one point to another without picking up or dropping off other passengers along the route.”
However, a tourist permit, according to him, may allow some flexibility, especially for sightseeing tours or pre-planned itineraries, but it still cannot operate as a regular public transport service.
Minister for transport, Daya Shankar Singh said the ill-fated bus had obtained temporary or contract permits several times after 2023. Before it had the national permit.
“We have asked the officials to probe as to why it got temporary permits multiple times when it had the national permit till 2023, and also if the bus violated the terms and conditions of the permit and fix the accountability of the officers concerned,” he said.
The initial inquiry has also revealed that a seat placed near the emergency exit blocked the escape route for passengers, violating safety specifications that mandate the area to be clear. It made the escape for trapped passengers impossible. Despite such blatant violations of technical norms, these buses manage to secure registration and continue operating without being caught.
“It is surprising how the bus got the fitness certificate if the emergency gate was blocked due to the seating arrangement,” the minister said.
Principal secretary Amit Kumar Gupta said a detailed investigation into the issue was on, and action would be taken against the guilty after the report came.
Transport commissioner Brajesh Narain Singh said the vehicle’s fitness certificate was issued without physical inspection under the ‘Anywhere Fitness’ system. “Regional inspector Raghav Kumar Kushwaha has been suspended, and a departmental inquiry is underway, led by Varanasi RTO Shikhar Ojha. A three-member state-level committee, headed by additional transport commissioner Sanjay Singh will review all fitness certificates issued in the past year under this system,” he said.
The transport department, he said, was implementing ‘5E road safety model’. The 5E stands for engineering, enforcement, education, emergency Care and environment. It has also signed an MoU with IIT Kharagpur to analyse road accident causes and suggest improvements.
He, however, refused to comment on whether the bus also violated the terms and conditions of the permit, saying only the state transport authority chairman could respond to the query.
But for the families of victims of Thursday’s fire, such measures offer little solace. “When buses with blocked emergency exits and dubious permits can still secure fitness certificates, it’s not just a lapse — it’s complicity,” said another transport department official.
He pointed out that accidents involving private buses operating in violation of all the norms had become so routine with authorities not technical specifications to these buses at the time of their registration and later during periodical fitness inspection.”