Hyderabad, Oct 24 (IANS) 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.

The minister said that if the Transport Department conducts daily checks, the travel operators complain of harassment.

Terming Friday’s accident as unfortunate, he said that a probe has been ordered.

He said all necessary steps would be taken to prevent such accidents in future.

Stating that thousands of people travel between Hyderabad and Bengaluru via Andhra Pradesh, he said a meeting of transport ministers and transport commissioners of all three states would be held soon to discuss measures to prevent accidents. “Speed limit prevents accidents, and we will ensure strict enforcement of such regulations,” he said.

Ponnam Prabhakar cited the speed limit rules enforced on Tirupati ghat roads. He said that at entry and exit points, the authorities concerned record the time to monitor the speed limit of vehicles in both directions.

He stressed the need for a similar system for bus operating between Hyderabad and Bengaluru, Tirupati, Vijayawada, Visakhapatnam and Rajahmundry.

–IANS

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