Telangana Transport Minister Ponnam Prabhakar warned private bus operators after a deadly fire in Andhra Pradesh killed nearly 20 passengers. He said operators must follow all transport rules. If they ignore safety, fitness, or insurance norms, the government will file murder charges against them.
The minister said thousands of people travel daily between Hyderabad and Bengaluru through Andhra Pradesh. He announced that the transport ministers and commissioners of Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, and Karnataka will soon meet to discuss road safety. “Speed limits save lives, and we will strictly enforce them,” he said.
The fire broke out after a V Kaveri Travels bus hit a two-wheeler near Chinnatekur, Kurnool. The bus, registered in Odisha, was carrying 43 people, including two drivers. A detailed investigation is underway. Prabhakar said travel operators often complain of harassment when officials conduct checks, but safety cannot be compromised.
He added that Tirupati ghat roads already use a system to record vehicle entry and exit times. The government may introduce a similar setup for routes between Hyderabad, Bengaluru, Tirupati, Vijayawada, and Visakhapatnam to prevent more tragedies.
