The Hindu : Andhra Pradesh News : In no-win situation

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, Jan 05, 2005

Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh

In no-win situation

By Our Staff Reporter

HYDERABAD, JAN. 4. More than one year has lapsed since the SETWIN authorities mooted the proposal for replacing old buses with new ones, but so far nothing has moved.

What more, the Road Transport Authorities also seem to have ignored the matter and issued temporary permits to SETWIN, allowing them to ply their rickety buses, which pose a grave danger to the motorists.

Tuesday's incident in which the brakes of a SETWIN bus failed resulting in the death of one person and injuries to five others at Begumpet, only shows the negligent attitude on the part of the SETWIN and RTA authorities.

The RTA Joint Commissioner, C.L.N. Gandhi, had said in April last that the RTA would not issue permits to allow plying of SETWIN buses in the twin cities if they failed to replace their old buses with new vehicles.

RTA promises action

"Temporary permits are issued once in four months. They assured us that they would replace the buses. If they do not keep up with their word, we are not going to issue them the permits," Mr. Gandhi had said then.

The SETWIN had even assured the RTA authorities that the buses would be replaced by April 1, 2004.

Nearly 60 SETWIN buses are plying in the city since October 1979. Even the SETWIN officials had said that they are "serious" about replacing the buses, but so far nothing has been done.

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