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Police and RTO begin inspections of private IT park buses after Hinjewadi tragedy
The week-long checks will focus on vehicle fitness, driver documentation, subcontracting records, and compliance with breathalyser tests, which many operators have reportedly ignored
A day after a drunk private bus driver killed three siblings and injured two others in Hinjewadi, senior officials from the Pimpri-Chinchwad Police and the Regional Transport Office (RTO) have launched an inspection drive targeting the area’s private buses. The week-long checks will focus on vehicle fitness, driver documentation, subcontracting records, and compliance with breathalyser tests, which many operators have reportedly ignored.
On Tuesday morning, Police Commissioner Vinoy Kumar Choubey (IPS), senior RTO officers, and representatives of IT employees’ associations visited the accident site and reviewed traffic flow patterns, supervision systems, and gaps in the current checks on private IT transport vehicles.
According to PCMC RTO records, more than 6,650 private buses are registered within Pimpri-Chinchwad limits, many of which operate daily across Hinjewadi, Maan, and Wakad to ferry IT park employees.
Pimpri-Chinchwad Regional Transport Officer Sandesh Chavan said the department has launched a “comprehensive crackdown” on private buses in the IT hub.
“We have started strict checking of all private buses in the Hinjewadi IT Park. We are verifying permits, fitness certificates, renewal documents, and driver verification papers,” Chavan said.
He added that accountability will now be enforced at multiple levels. “From now on, not only the driver but even the owner of the transport company will be held equally responsible in such incidents,” Chavan added.
Police Commissioner Choubey emphasised coordination with the RTO and IT companies to address systemic failures in employee transport. Calling the accident “deeply tragic,” he said, “We are reviewing all transport operations inside the IT park and will take the strictest possible action against negligent drivers and operators.”
The IT workforce has also begun internal measures. Pavanjit Mane, president of the Forum for IT Employees (FITE), said the association is compiling detailed data on buses hired by companies for employee transport. “We already maintain information about transport systems in Hinjewadi, but now we are gathering specific and detailed data related to private buses,” he said.
New checks will include driver character verification, duty hours, fatigue risks, and whether drivers have a history of alcohol or substance abuse. “These checks will now be compulsory. We will also hold IT companies accountable to ensure they do not outsource transport to unverified contractors,” Mane added.
