This story is from January 13, 2020

Agra, Mathura city buses do not have fire extinguishers

Passengers risk their lives every time they travel in a city bus operating in Agra and Mathura as they do not have a fire extinguisher, which is mandatory for safety purposes. It is also a violation of the safety guidelines laid down by the Union ministry of road transport and highways.
Agra, Mathura city buses do not have fire extinguishers
A UPSRTC bus in Agra
AGRA: Passengers risk their lives every time they travel in a city bus operating in Agra and Mathura as they do not have a fire extinguisher, which is mandatory for safety purposes. It is also a violation of the safety guidelines laid down by the Union ministry of road transport and highways.
The lack of safety gear assumes significance after 20 people were burnt to death when their private bus rammed into a truck in Kannauj and caught fire.
Following the accident, Uttar Pradesh State Roadways Transport Corporation (UPSRTC) officials on Sunday replaced old fire extinguishers with new ones in several buses. First aid kits were also provided to the bus conductors.
The Agra-Mathura city transport service, that operates a total of 230 buses under the Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission (JNNURM) scheme, has not adopted the basic safety measures, thereby putting at risk the life of the passengers. Of the of 230 buses, 170 are operated in Agra and 60 in Mathura.
On Sunday, TOI checked over a dozen city buses operating on MG road. None of the bus had a fire extinguisher. In fact the condition of the buses was poor with missing window panes, broken window frames, torn or broken seats, no side mirrors and damaged indicators. Besides, the buses were very dirty with no signs of cleanliness.
Subham Verma, a B.Sc student and a regular commuter in Agra, said, “I travel in the city buses almost every day. I have never seen a fire extinguisher in any city bus. Officials keep on hiking the fare every year but are not concerned about the safety of the passengers.”
Veena Kushwah, another regular traveller, said, “Bus travel in Agra is a risky business. Besides no fire extinguisher to douse a fire, you never know when you might fall off a bus. Their steps are rickety and damaged. Last month, I sustained injuries in my leg while climbing the bus steps.”

Shopkeeper Gaurav Agarwal said, “It buses have not been maintained properly for a long time. One can find heaps of rubbish on the floors. Most of the seats are broken and supported by stones or some other means. Safety of the passengers should be a priority of the authorities. Fire extinguishers must be installed in buses without any further delay.”
RBL Sharma, managing director of the Agra-Mathura City Transport Service, said, “Soon fire extinguishers will be installed in all the city buses. We are assessing the condition of the buses. Required repairs and maintenance works will be done in a time-bound manner.”
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