Vijayawada: Authorities have found that the bus belonging to Vemuri Kaveri Travels, owned by Vemuri Vinod Kumar, which was involved in a fatal crash near Chinnatekur village in Kurnool district early Friday, had violated multiple transport regulations.
Officials said the vehicle had been converted into a sleeper coach without the required authorisation and was operating across state borders using questionable documentation.
Records show that the bus, bearing registration number DD01 N9490, was purchased on May 2, 2018, and initially registered in Daman and Diu. On April 29, 2025, the registration was reportedly transferred to the Rayagada RTO in Odisha under the name of G. Bijaya Laxmi, with officials noting that the address provided appeared to be unverified.
Investigations also revealed that the Odisha-issued base (tourist) permit for the vehicle was valid from May 1, 2025, to April 30, 2030, while its fitness certificate, issued by Silvassa authorities in Daman and Diu, remained valid until March 31, 2027.
Although the bus carried valid documents such as insurance, fitness, and road tax, officials noted that it had originally been registered as a seater coach and was later converted into a sleeper without adhering to mandated safety standards, TNIE reported.
Officials from the Rayagada Regional Transport Authority (RTA), who had reportedly cleared the modification of the ill-fated bus, claimed they were unaware that it had been converted into a sleeper coach. They said the alteration was approved only as a change in seating configuration and that the decision was based on the documents available at the time.
APSRTC Vice-Chairman and Managing Director Ch. Dwaraka Tirumala Rao explained that bus body construction is a scientific process requiring adherence to specific engineering standards.
He noted that operators are not permitted to alter seating or sleeper layouts on their own, as each design must meet safety criteria related to weight distribution, structural balance, emergency exits, fire protection, and passenger comfort.
Rao added that, unlike APSRTC buses, many private operators compromise safety by reducing seat spacing and adding extra berths or rows to carry more passengers and boost revenue.
Officials also observed that several private transporters routinely bypass certified body-building agencies to make unauthorised modifications.
One official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said that passenger safety was being sacrificed for profit, pointing out that many operators hire unqualified drivers and allegedly work with RTA officials to secure approvals for illegally altered vehicles. Such unsafe structural changes, the official warned, make buses unstable and greatly heighten the risk of fatalities in crashes.