Cyberabad police holds meeting with private bus travel agencies

Hyderabad: To ensure safe and secure public transportation, particularly for women, Cyberabad Police Commissioner Avinash Mohanty, along with other officials, conducted a coordination meeting on Thursday with owners and managers of intercity and intracity private bus travel agencies.

During the meeting, Avinash Mohanty emphasized the need for strict adherence to traffic rules by bus drivers, warning that violations could lead to license suspensions, with repeated offenses resulting in permanent cancellation. He encouraged private bus operators to regularly assess their drivers’ skills and gather feedback from both drivers and passengers to improve service quality.

Telangana State Transport Commissioner K. Illambarthy stressed the importance of adhering to fire safety norms mandated by the Supreme Court. He recommended installing panic buttons in buses for emergencies and announced that automated fitness checks for buses would begin on October 1 to ensure roadworthiness. The Transport Commissioner urged bus operators to prohibit gas stoves or cooking equipment inside vehicles due to safety risks and highlighted the need for CCTV and dash cameras to monitor safety and assist law enforcement.

To enhance women’s safety, Illambarthy proposed having female attendants on board and displaying emergency contact numbers for fire, police, ambulance, and physicians. Bus owners should monitor drivers and cleaners through a surveillance system, adhere to night travel protocols, and conduct regular awareness programs for drivers.

Cyberabad Jt CP Traffic D. Joel Davis stated that interstate and intercity passenger buses are restricted from operating within the Cyberabad Commissionerate limits of the ORR from 7:30 AM to 10:30 PM, allowing operations from 10:30 PM to 7:30 AM. Exceptions include intercity and intracity private buses permitted up to BHEL Junction from Patancheru, while public transport vehicles operated by TSRTC and other state RTCs are exempt.

He also stated that all goods transport, heavy, slow-moving, and medium vehicles are prohibited from certain flyovers around the clock, including Cyber Towers Flyover, Forum Mall Flyover, and Durgam Cheruvu Suspension Bridge.

TG Anti-Narcotics Bureau SP P. Sai Chaitanya raised concerns about private buses transporting unauthorized parcels linked to narcotics smuggling. He instructed operators to prohibit the transport of parcels unrelated to passengers and urged staff to remain vigilant, reporting suspicious activity to the police helpline at 1908/8712671111.

He emphasized the strict enforcement of alcohol and narcotics bans, mandatory luggage screening with scanners, and the collection of passenger details for security. Any discovery of illegal substances should be reported immediately to the police.