No luggage racks will be allowed on top of buses, says transport minister Ramalinga Reddy

BENGALURU: The state government has decided to remove top luggage racks from the top of buses and ban carrying of commercial goods to enhance safety. The move is aimed at preventing fire accidents and reduce risks during emergencies.

Transport Minister Ramalinga Reddy said he has instructed officials to ensure that all buses, including private and government ones, remove these racks. Only small luggage and suitcases will be allowed inside buses, and larger items will be banned. Existing buses will also have to remove their rooftop luggage racks.

“I have instructed our officials to ensure that the rooftop luggage racks on buses should be removed in the interest of safety. No commercial goods should be carried. In the case of the Kurnool bus tragedy, 300 mobile phones were being transported which have flammable batteries. In the Hiriyur bus accident case, rash driving by the container truck driver was the cause of the accident. Except for the passengers’ luggage, the bus was not carrying any commercial goods as per the inquiry report”, the minister said.