Govt. ticks off Tatas after DTC bus fire

  • 04/12/2009

  • Hindu (New Delhi)

Gaurav Vivek Bhatnagar and Ashok Kumar NEW DELHI: Following another fire in a low-floor Delhi Transport Corporation bus in Moti Nagar here on Thursday, the Delhi Government swung into action and hauled up Tata Motors which is responsible for the maintenance of these buses. It also constituted a four-member committee to look into the causes of mishaps involving the newly-acquired buses. This was the second fire incident in a low-floor bus in the recent past. The latest fire broke out in the rear part of the bus, plying between Janakpuri and Inderlok metro rail station, around 6 a.m. A shoe-brake rubbing against the rear tyre generated friction leading to the fire. The driver noticed smoke and rushed out of the bus along with the passengers and crew. Following the incident, Transport Minister Arvinder Singh Lovely convened a high-level meeting in which it was decided to set up the four-member committee headed by the Joint Commissioner (Transport) to look into the causes of the fire accidents involving DTC low-floor buses and to suggest ways to prevent such mishaps in future. The Minister said the committee headed by Ajay Chakti would also include a chief general manager of the DTC, a motor licensing officer and a retired director of a research institute. The committee has been given a month to submit its report. The DTC, he said, had been directed to have an automobile engineer on contract at every depot for ensuring proper maintenance of low-floor buses.