899 over-aged buses exposed in MP Transport audit

Madhya Pradesh’s transport system is staring at a major regulatory breakdown, with the Transport Department admitting that 899 passenger buses older than 15 years are still plying on intra-State routes in open violation of State-mandated age limits.

The disclosure has triggered alarm within the administration and prompted an urgent Statewide audit after internal reviews uncovered widespread irregularities and unchecked permit renewals across key transport zones, including Bhopal, Indore, Gwalior, Rewa, Sagar, Ujjain and Jabalpur.

Transport Commissioner Vivek Sharma, speaking to The Pioneer, clarified that the department’s ongoing action stems from directives issued by the State Government.

 He said transport teams are verifying permits of all vehicles engaged in State Carriage operations, with a specific focus on the 899 buses currently running passenger services within Madhya Pradesh.

Sharma explained that under transport rules, permits are issued for a period of three years and are allotted to a person or a transport company—not to a specific vehicle.

Therefore, when a bus reaches the age limit of 15 years, it is the responsibility of the permit holder to retire the old vehicle and place a replacement bus under the same permit.

“It is the duty of the permit owner, as per rules,” Sharma said, emphasising that the compliance burden lies with operators, not permit-issuing authorities.

However, internal audits have shown that several regional offices renewed permits without verifying whether operators had replaced ageing buses, allowing over-aged vehicles—many in visibly deteriorating condition—to remain in service.

Officials acknowledge that physical inspections and roadworthiness checks were often skipped, resulting in buses with outdated engines and weakened body frames running long-distance and inter-district routes in violation of safety norms.

The department has now initiated corrective action. Field teams have been instructed to cross-check documents, cancel improperly renewed permits, and initiate disciplinary proceedings against officers who approved renewals without mandatory verification.

Operators have been warned that continuing to run buses older than 15 years will invite heavy penalties, permit cancellation and vehicle seizure.

The compliance drive, described internally as a ‘system reset’, aims to remove high-risk ageing buses from the State’s roads, improve passenger safety and strengthen oversight mechanisms that have long been neglected.

Officials say the next few weeks of enforcement will be critical in determining how quickly Madhya Pradesh can eliminate outdated buses and stabilise its transport governance ecosystem.