Passenger bus, running under recently launched M.P. govt service, gutted in fire; passengers evacuated safely
A passenger bus operating under the Madhya Pradesh government's new public-private partnership service caught fire near Ujjain. All 40 passengers were evacuated safely, and officials have launched an inquiry into the incident, which is suspected to be caused by a short-circuit.
Why it matters
The incident raises questions regarding the safety and maintenance standards of the newly launched public transport initiative in India.
A passenger bus, linked to Madhya Pradesh Government’s recently launched public bus service, was gutted in fire on Tuesday (October 6, 202) near Ujjain with about 40 people in it who managed to get out without any injuries, officials said.
The incident took place in Ramwas area, about 15 kilometres from Ujjain when the bus was traveling from the holy city to Indore. Officials, however, said that it was a private operator bus, under contract with the government as part of the Mukhyamantri Sugam Parivahan Seva, that was launched on September 25.
Chief Minister Mohan Yadav and Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari had flagged off 351 buses, reintroducing a public bus service in the State after 21 years, under the public-private partnership (PPP) model.
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