Drive against elongated buses registered in other states

Transport department in Mumbai conducting a crackdown on buses with excessive length registered in Nagaland, Arunachal Pradesh, and other states but running in Maharashtra. Buses often extend length to accommodate more seats and register in lax states.

Mumbai: The transport department is undertaking a special drive against buses with more than permissible length that are registered in Nagaland, Arunachal Pradesh and other states but plying in Maharashtra. On December 5, the deputy transport commissioner issued a circular directing all regional transport offices (RTO) in the state to take stern action against such buses if they were found violating the Motor Vehicles Act and other rules.

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Officials said the drive was being undertaken because bus operators often increased the length of their vehicles to accommodate more seats, registered them in states like Nagaland and Arunachal Pradesh where rules on bus dimensions are lax, and plied them in Maharashtra on inter- and inter-city routes.

“On average, a 51-seater bus is 11-12 meters long. Increasing the length further makes them vulnerable to accidents and increases risk of toppling. They are a hazard for passengers,” said an RTO official.

“Scores of private buses registered in Arunachal Pradesh and Nagaland that have extended the length or changed the seating without permission are plying in Maharashtra,” said a regional transport office inspector.

However, bus operators in Mumbai claimed that transport offices were going easy on buses registered in north-eastern states allegedly using bogus documents. “Many buses that were scrapped or handed back to banks when owners defaulted on loans are taken to these states and registered under fake documents,” alleged a bus operator. Once registered, the buses are brought to Maharashtra where they ferry passengers despite safety risks, he said.