Illegal transport of crackers on the rise in Bengaluru

Bengaluru: With preparations for Diwali in full swing, the sale of fire crackers has already risen across the state. With the prices skyrocketing, traders and dealers are opting for various affordable means of transport of these in-demand fireworks to maintain their margin.

The easiest transport modes chosen by ‘cracker’ dealers to transport their fireworks, are private buses. According to an estimate, every day, tens of bundles of ‘crackers’ are supplied to various parts of the state through these buses in the form of goods parcels.

According to sources from the bus parcel service and officials at the state transport department, with Diwali just a week away, loads of firecrackers are now being illegally transported by private buses in the city. "These fireworks are mostly transported in night buses as there are hardly any monitoring systems. They are shown as regular parcels. From Tamil Nadu, also, crackers are being supplied to the city either on trains or buses. There are hardly any checks," explained a ‘cracker’ trader.

"Buses offer an affordable service. We don’t have to  pay a big amount. Generally crackers were sent to district headquarters first from where they  would be distributed among retail traders,” he said. Even the transport officials say the same thing. "Generally all forms of explosives are banned from being transported in buses. We are keeping an eye on the bus operators. Whenever we receive complaints we will act immediately,” informed an officer.

Transport commissioner Mr. Ramegowda admitted that crackers and other banned materials were indeed being transported in a few buses.