Kolhapur RTO to inspect sleeper-coach buses for fire safety

Kolhapur: Regional transport office will conduct a detailed inspection of sleeper-coach buses after a series of fire incidents endangering passengers across Maharashtra.On Monday, a sleeper bus caught fire in Sangli, destroying the documents of two women candidates returning from police recruitment exams. Earlier, a passenger died after a bus travelling via the Samruddhi Expressway from Mumbai to Buldhana went up in flames. Several similar incidents were reported last year too."In most cases, negligence toward mandatory safety norms has been identified as a major factor behind such fires, many of which occur while buses are in motion. Sleeper coaches typically operate on long-distance routes, and continuous electrical load significantly increases the risk of fire due to wiring or short-circuit issues," an official said.Assistant regional transport officer Chandrakant Mane said, "The buses will be inspected on 26 parameters laid down under the Motor Vehicles Act. There are around 370 sleeper-coach buses in Kolhapur district, and they operate both within Maharashtra and to other states. Owners will have time till March 31 to present their buses for inspection at the RTO. The inspection will be carried out free of cost. If any safety feature is missing, owners will be instructed to install it."Key mandatory safety features include fire detection and suppression systems, emergency exits, structural safety compliance, driver‑assistance mechanisms, retrofitted safety equipment, and adherence to passenger-capacity regulations.