Pvt bus operators flouting rules face strict action: Minister

Hyderabad: After the bus fire accident in Andhra Pradesh killed 19 people, Telangana Transport Minister Ponnam Prabhakar warned private bus operators that strict action will be taken against them if they violate transport rules. He said if the travel operators were found negligent on the fitness of vehicles, insurance and in other matters, they will be booked for murder and sent to jail. The minister asked travel operators to follow rules and adhere to the speed limit. "Don’t play with the lives of people," he told them. Nineteen passengers were charred to death when the bus caught fire after hitting a two-wheeler near Chinnatekur on the outskirts of Kurnool in Andhra Pradesh in the early hours of Friday. The bus belonging to V Kaveri Travels had 43 people, including two drivers, on board. He said in a statement that the bus involved in the accident was registered in Odisha and was operating between Hyderabad and Bengaluru.