Jaipur: Transport department has instructed regional transport officers (RTOs) to suspend registration certificates (RCs) of private buses found violating the Bus Body Code with immediate effect. The RC may only be restored after a physical inspection confirms compliance with statutory standards.The Oct 29 directive follows two fatal accidents in the state – one on Oct 14 in Jaisalmer in which 27 people died, and another on Oct 28 in Manoharpur near Jaipur, which claimed two lives. Reacting to the diktat, private bus operating under the All India Tourist Permit Bus Owners Association threatened to take their buses off-road from the midnight of Oct 31. The association said 8,000 sleeper coaches will not ply for two days from Oct 31, likely affecting 3 lakh passengers. Those who had already booked tickets will be given refunds, and the association put new bookings on hold Thursday night.Rajasthan Bus Operators Association has also threatened a total strike from the midnight of Nov 1, taking 20,000 private buses across all categories – AC and non-AC, sleeper and seater – off road. “All buses across the state, including rural service buses, school buses, state carriages, suburban buses, and public transport buses, will be suspended,” said Satyanarayan Sahu, president of the Rajasthan Bus Operators Association.Officials said multiple on road buses misuse same registration numbers and change number plates. To counter this, the department, through a letter by additional transport commissioner OP Bunkar, said that “when inspecting each bus, the registration number should be matched with the chassis number or engine number. During checking, passenger vehicles found operating without approvals, their registration certificates should be suspended.” The order also said registration certificate shall only be restored after physically inspecting vehicles for conformity with required standards. “If any sleeper passenger vehicle is found operating in violation of the norms, the personal responsibility of the concerned RTO at the regional headquarters and the concerned district transport officer in the area other than the regional headquarters will be fixed,” a senior official said.
