PUNE, 21 NOV. In light of the recent incidents of buses catching fire, the Pune Mahanagar Parivahan Mahamandal (PMP) administration has decided to conduct a 'Fire Audit' of all the buses in its fleet. The responsibility for this audit has been assigned to the Central Institute of Road Transport (CIRT). The inspection is set to commence within the next fifteen days. During this audit, the working condition of the fire extinguishers and the Fire Detection and Suppression System (FDSS) in the buses will also be checked. Concurrently, bus drivers and conductors will be trained on how to effectively operate the fire extinguishing equipment.
Last week, a PMP bus traveling from Pimpri-Chinchwad to Bhosari caught fire. Fortunately, all passengers were rescued safely. Taking serious note of this incident, the administration has now decided to conduct a fire audit. This measure aims to detect any technical defects in the buses in a timely manner.
Drivers to be Informed About 'Black Spots': Drivers will be provided with information regarding the fourteen accident-prone areas ('Black Spots') within the Pune Municipal Corporation area and the nine such spots in the Pimpri-Chinchwad Municipal Corporation area. Drivers will also be subjected to alcohol tests (via a breath analyser) at public places. The depot manager and checker have been entrusted with this responsibility.
Statement by Pankaj Deore, Chairman and Managing Director, PMP:
Currently, there are approximately sixty buses in the PMP fleet that have either completed twelve years or covered eight lakh kilometers of travel. Out of these, thirty buses will be scrapped within the next two days. These buses will be scrapped according to the existing Scrapping Policy. Various issues concerning safe transport were discussed during a meeting organized by the PMP administration, which was also attended by officials from the Traffic Police and the RTO department.
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