Ahead of the bustling festival season, Hyderabad's transport authorities launched a major crackdown on private buses to ensure passenger safety. On Friday, enforcement teams across the city conducted a special drive, booking a total of 31 cases against contract carriage (CC) buses and collecting a substantial Rs 76,000 in fines in just one day.
Widespread Checks Across City Zones
The enforcement operation was carried out simultaneously across all six jurisdictional zones of the city. The North and South zones recorded the highest number of violations with seven cases each. They were closely followed by the Driving Test Track (DTT) Nagole vigilance team, which registered six cases. The Central and East zones booked four cases each, while the West zone accounted for three. Notably, no vehicles were seized during this day-long action.
Common Violations and Safety Lapses
Joint Transport Commissioner (Hyderabad) C Ramesh detailed the frequent violations discovered. Several buses were found operating without essential safety and compliance items. These included the absence of mandatory driver uniforms, functional fire extinguishers, and valid fitness certificates. A significant breach involved the unauthorised carriage of merchandise goods, which is strictly prohibited under contract carriage permit conditions. Additional penalties were levied for safety lapses like not carrying the prescribed warning equipment.
In terms of financial penalties, the Central zone led collections with Rs 20,000 in compounding fees. DTT Nagole followed with Rs 18,000, while the East and North zones collected Rs 14,000 each. The West zone collected Rs 10,000. Officials confirmed that no tax arrears were detected during this drive.
Part of a Three-Day Festival Season Campaign
Friday's intensive drive marked the conclusion of a three-day enforcement campaign that began on Wednesday. Over the entire period, officials booked 45 cases and collected Rs 1 lakh. While checks on Wednesday and Thursday together yielded Rs 37,000 from 14 cases, Friday's single-day effort alone accounted for over two-thirds of the total collections. Authorities confirmed that no buses were seized throughout the three-day operation.
Joint Commissioner Ramesh stated that this focused enforcement was strategically aimed at ensuring strict compliance with safety norms and permit conditions. The initiative was particularly crucial for the festival season, a period when contract carriage buses experience a significant surge in demand and their presence on arterial roads peaks, often leading to congestion and potential safety compromises.
