Second low-floor bus catches fire

The bus,plying on route 832 from Janakpuri to Inderlok metro station,caught fire around 6.15 am. “A blast was heard at the rear end of the bus and flames erupted,” said a police officer. A case is yet to be filed,“since it is an accidental fire and everyone is safe,” said Sharad Aggarwal,DCP West.

This is the second time a low-floor bus caught fire in the last week. A DTC non low-floor bus had also caught fire recently.

Following the incident,the Delhi government issued a stern warning to Tata Motors,which has supplied nearly 800 such buses and is responsible for their maintenance for 12 years after their purchase. If it fails to adhere to maintenance norms,the government can take punitive action against it.

Transport Minister Arvinder Singh Lovely said Thursday’s fire was caused due to negligence in maintenance of the bus.

Officials of Delhi Transport Corporation (DTC) said the fire occurred when the rear tyres got jammed after the shoe brake attached to them stopped functioning. “The tyres stopped rotating,which led to friction and the sparks led to the fire,” said an official. The fault,he said,was clearly with the agency in charge of maintenance.

The government,however,has constituted a four-member panel to look into the matter. The panel comprises Ajay Chagti,Joint Commissioner Transport and Balraj Bhanot,former chief of Automobile Research Association of India and now a consultant with DIMTS. It is expected to submit a report on the incident and suggest safety measures for future.

The decision was taken following a meeting with DTC officials,Tata Motors and JK Tyres — the firm supplying tyres for the buses.

The shift manager of the depot has been suspended. A technical team from Tata Motors — headed by Managing Director Ravi Kant — is expected to investigate the incident. The government has also decided to hire an independent automobile engineer for each depot on contract basis to ensure third-party inspection,Lovely said.