Indore’s transport department fined 11 buses a total of Rs 1.20 lakh and seized another for operating without a permit during a special safety inspection drive on Wednesday, bringing permit compliance and passenger protection back into focus across the city’s intercity bus network.
Regional Transport Office officials carried out the checks at Star Square on the instructions of collector Shiv Verma. The drive focused on All India Tourist buses and examined whether vehicles and operators were meeting basic safety, operational and documentation requirements.
Inspectors checked emergency exits, fire safety systems, passenger evacuation arrangements and overloading. They also examined allegations of overcharging passengers and verified permits, fitness certificates and other mandatory documents required for lawful operation.
The seized bus was operating on the Indore-Gorakhpur route without a permit, according to the transport department. The 11 buses that were fined were found to have irregularities involving permit compliance, other violations and overcharging. The department did not provide a vehicle-wise breakdown of the fines in the report.
The inspection was conducted by RTO Pradeep Sharma, assistant RTO Rajesh Gupta and the department’s flying squad. Officials also counselled drivers and conductors, instructing them not to carry inflammable material, to maintain complete documentation and to operate only technically sound vehicles.
The department said inspections are continuing beyond the single-day action. Officials are checking vehicle speeds, speed governors, high-security registration plates, permits and other documents as part of the wider public transport safety campaign. The checks are intended to cover the operational and technical conditions that affect passengers after buses begin service, rather than focusing only on registration or route permissions.
The transport department is also paying special attention to school and college vehicles. Operators are being made aware of traffic rules and safety standards, while the inspections are being used to reinforce requirements relating to emergency exits, fire protection, evacuation and the carrying of passengers within permitted limits.
The latest action leaves enforcement as the department’s immediate next step. Further checks of buses, school vehicles and college vehicles, along with continuing verification of permits, fitness certificates, speed controls and safety equipment, are expected under the ongoing campaign.
