The devastating bus fire in Andhra Pradesh’s Kurnool, which has claimed at least 20 lives, has exposed glaring lapses in India’s road safety and licensing system. Investigations have revealed a chain of violations — from a driver with fake credentials to negligent vehicle renovation practices — that culminated in the deadly tragedy.
Police have arrested Miriyala Lakshmaiah, the driver of the ill-fated double-decker bus. Investigators discovered that Lakshmaiah, who had studied only up to Class 5, managed to secure a heavy vehicle licence using a forged Class 10 certificate.
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Under existing regulations, anyone applying for a transport vehicle licence must have completed at least Class 8 education. However, this rule is often flouted, with applicants submitting fake academic certificates to obtain driving licences.
Preliminary findings also indicate that the travel company responsible for operating the bus bypassed several safety and renovation guidelines during modifications to the vehicle. The negligence extended beyond the operator: officials confirmed that the biker involved in the crash that triggered the fire was under the influence of alcohol at the time.
The Kurnool tragedy has once again brought into sharp focus India’s weak enforcement of transport safety norms, raising questions about the efficacy of driver verification, vehicle inspection, and company accountability.
Authorities are now under pressure to conduct a thorough probe into the incident and take stringent action against those responsible for the multiple failures that led to the horrific loss of lives.
(This story is published from a syndicated feed)
