The Indore transport department has recommended cancelling the permits of five All India Permit buses after a special inspection found that they were operating as state carriage services, charging passengers varying fares above prescribed rates and travelling without fire extinguishers.
A report seeking cancellation of the permits was sent to the transport commissioner’s office, according to an official release. The action followed complaints about excessive fares and buses allegedly operating in violation of the conditions attached to their permits.
The inspection was carried out by a flying squad led by regional transport officer Pradeep Sharma. The team checked five video coach buses that held All India Permits but were being operated as state carriage vehicles. The transport department said this amounted to a breach of permit conditions.
None of the five buses had a fire extinguisher, the department said. The absence of basic fire-safety equipment was recorded during the checks, adding a passenger-safety violation to the permit-related findings.
Officials also spoke to passengers to establish the fares they had paid on different routes. Passengers travelling between Indore and Pune reported paying Rs 800, Rs 1,200 and Rs 2,100. On services operating towards Thane, reported fares ranged from Rs 1,800 to Rs 1,900.
Passengers travelling on Indore-Mumbai routes reported paying between Rs 2,000 and Rs 4,000, while fares on the Mungaoli route ranged from Rs 600 to Rs 800. In one case, two passengers travelling together paid Rs 8,190. On another Mumbai-route bus, passengers reported being charged Rs 1,250, Rs 1,500 and Rs 2,100.
The differing amounts reported by passengers were recorded as part of the department’s investigation into fare compliance. The transport department said the inspection was intended to ensure passenger safety, adherence to prescribed fares and compliance with transport rules.
Sharma directed bus operators to follow the conditions of their permits and comply strictly with safety standards. The recommendation to cancel the five permits will now be considered by the transport commissioner’s office.
