RTO-NMC teams start inspecting all Aapli buses

Nagpur: A joint inspection by Regional Transport Office (RTO) and Nagpur Municipal Corporation’s (NMC) transport department began on Wednesday. The inspection was ordered after a fire broke out in a moving Aapli Bus on May 5.
On May 6, official city RTO and deputy RTO Ravindra Bhuyar had formed a joint team to inspect all Aapli buses and depots. The team will not only inspect the condition of Aapli buses but also examine whether proper safety measures are being followed at the depots.
Four teams comprising four motor vehicle inspectors and officials from the transport department started visiting four Aapli bus depots – Khapri, Patwardhan Ground, Hingna and Koradi.
Aapli bus operators RK City, Travel Times and Hansa City have been informed about the joint inspection of the fleet, which will be conducted between 8pm and 11pm as it is the time when buses are parked in depots.
Operators have been asked to prepare SOPs for the drivers, who will have to ensure that electric cables are intact and no oil leakages in their buses. The operators have also been asked to inspect every bus at least twice a week.
Already, an investigator appointed by RTO has concluded that the fire in moving Aapli bus on May 5 was caused due to a short-circuit. The investigator is expected to submit the probe report to NMC’s transport department in a couple of days, a senior official said.
Besides this, a team from a premier engineering college from central India has suggested replacing the electric cables of all buses.