Watch: Maharashtra state bus with detached rooftop plies on highway, probe on
According to the MSRTC officials, the bus was plying on the Gadchiroli-Aheri route when the rooftop broke off.
In a shocking incident, a bus of the Maharashtra State Road Transport Corporation (MSRTC) has been caught on camera with its out-covering of rooftop getting detached from one side and fluttering in the air while running on the highway, on Wednesday, prompting the authorities to take cognisance of the incident, news agency PTI reported.
According to the MSRTC officials, the bus was plying on the Gadchiroli-Aheri route when the rooftop broke off.
In the video which made headlines on social media, the state transport bus can be seen plying on the highway with the outer fibre portion above the driver's cabin fluttering in the air.
As soon as the video went viral, the department took cognisance of the incident and has suspended an officer of the mechanical engineering department in Gadchiroli for being responsible for poor maintenance of the bus.
However, the official of MSRTC told that the entire rooftop of the vehicle did not come out, but only the outer fibre portion above the driver's cabin was broken. "The crew of the bus and passengers were unaware about the broken rooftop. After people from some other vehicle pointed it out to the bus crew members, the latter asked them to shoot a video," he added.
"A probe has been ordered into the incident. Action is being taken against the officer concerned," MSRTC vice chairman and managing director Shekhar Channe told PTI.
The video has raised serious concerns about public safety and has drawn attention to the maintenance and safety protocols within the state transport department. The MSRTC is one of the biggest public transport corporations in India with over 15,000 buses in its fleet. It ferries around 60 lakh passengers everyday.