Kurnool: The safety of passengers travelling by Road Transport Corporation buses to hill stations like Srisailam has come in for sharp criticism as most of the buses have been found to be inadequate on ‘road fitness’ parameters.
A stretch of 37 kilometers from Atmakur in Kurnool district to Srisailam is under the ghat and the maintenance of the road falls under the jurisdiction of Kurnool and Prakasam districts.
About 850 buses, including 250 hired buses run daily from 12 depots to various destinations. At least 15 per cent of the buses are unfit to be operating on the Srisailam ghat road due to ageing and other mechanical reasons, said a depot manager. In addition, the health condition of the driver is also important for ensuring a safe journey for passengers on ghat roads. On an earlier occasion, a driver had died due to a cardiac arrest while driving, the depot manager said.
The two Srisailam ghat roads, which fall under the jurisdiction of three districts, have been neglected by all concerned over the years. They have therefore become unsafe for use by all kinds of vehicles.
One of the ghat roads spans over a stretch of 110 km from the temple town to Atmakur on the Srisailam-Kurnool route and the other stretches for 120 km up to Munnanur on the Hyderabad-Srisailam route.
Parapet walls on these roads were too weak to give any protection in case of an accident. Some of the parapet walls like the one at Lingala Gattu, which was damaged years ago, still remain unattended and unrepaired.
Subbarayudu, a retired R&B engineer, said that the ghat roads were under the control of three district administrations - those of Kurnool, Prakasam and Mahabubnagar. Five departments — roads and buildings, forest, medical and health, irrigation and police — were tasked with ensuring the safety of pilgrims travelling on the ghat roads. However, they have failed in this due to lack of coordination among them, he added.
