Jaipur, July 9 (IANS) In a first-of-its-kind road safety drive, judicial officers across Rajasthan stepped out of courtrooms and onto the streets on Thursday to inspect luxury buses and school transport vehicles amid growing concerns over bus fire incidents and passenger safety.
Nine buses were seized on Wednesday, and more will be seized on Thursday, too, said officials.
However, while caring for passengers travelling in these buses, it will be ensured that they are dropped off at their destinations. The seized bus will then be directed to the police station as suggested by officials, or else its license will be suspended, said officials.
Pawan Kumar Jeenwal, Secretary, Jaipur District Legal Services Authority, told IANS that the Rajasthan State Legal Services Authority (RALSA) had taken the recurring incidents of buses catching fire very seriously, particularly after fatal accidents in Phalodi and Dausa, where innocent passengers were charred to death.
“We found that many sleeper luxury buses were violating safety norms. Instead of the mandatory four emergency exits, most buses had only one. Operators were also tampering with seat spacing to create additional luggage storage, in violation of prescribed standards. In several cases, the original bus body had also been modified. We are ensuring that these safety norms are implemented strictly on the ground,” he said.
The statewide inspection has uncovered multiple violations, leading to the seizure of nine buses and the issuance of challans to 15 vehicles. In Jaipur, Pallavi Sharma, Secretary (Judge) of the District Legal Services Authority (Metropolitan-II), led surprise inspections at Chomu Puliya and the No. 14 Bus Stand. During the operation, she found a bus registered in Madhya Pradesh allegedly operating with a Rajasthan registration plate, prompting immediate action.
The inspection also exposed serious safety lapses in several luxury buses. Emergency exits and windows had reportedly been blocked by unauthorised seats and sleeper berths, while some buses had illegally constructed cabins that could obstruct evacuation during emergencies, Jeemwal said.
Officials measured bus dimensions to verify compliance with mandatory emergency exit norms and examined the spacing between sleeper berths.
As part of the drive, authorities also inspected luggage compartments to ensure buses were not being used to transport commercial goods, which is prohibited under transport regulations. School buses operating in the area were also checked for compliance with safety standards.
The inspection team comprised judicial officers, transport department officials and traffic police personnel, who jointly verified vehicle documents and safety features before taking enforcement action.
The special campaign has been launched by the Rajasthan State Legal Services Authority (SLSA) following a series of recent bus accidents and fire incidents in the state. Over the next month, judicial officers will conduct similar inspections in major inter-state transport hubs, including Jaipur, Udaipur, Kota, Jodhpur, Bharatpur, Bikaner, Ajmer, Sri Ganganagar, Alwar, Bhilwara, Rajsamand and Sikar.
According to Hariom Sharma Atri, Member Secretary of the Rajasthan State Legal Services Authority, the first phase of the campaign focuses on long-distance luxury buses. Vehicles found violating prescribed safety norms will face penalties, including fines and impoundment, to ensure greater accountability and improved passenger safety across Rajasthan.
–IANS
arc/dpb