City bus catches fire in Bhopal, smoke engulfs moving vehicle:Driver conductor jump to safety, passengers evacuated safely; authorities begin probe

A low-floor red bus of Bhopal City Link Limited (BCLL) caught smoke while running on Link Road No. 1 in Bhopal on Saturday morning. The driver and conductor quickly evacuated passengers, preventing any harm. Eight to ten passengers were on board at the time. The bus was travelling from Board Office Square to New Market on the TR-4 route. Quick action prevents disaster Smoke started rising from the rear of the bus, likely due to a short circuit. The driver and conductor jumped out immediately and helped passengers evacuate. Thanks to their alertness, the situation was brought under control. No injuries were reported. See how the scene unfolded – Investigation launched Bhopal officials have started investigating the incident. All bus documents were found to be complete. The cause of the smoke is under scrutiny to prevent future accidents. Declining public transport in Bhopal Bhopal’s public transport system is in poor condition. At one time, 368 buses operated in the city. Now only 60 buses are running. BCLL operated buses through four agencies: Maa Associates, AP Motors, Shri Durgamba, and I-Mobility. These agencies ran buses on 25 routes. Maa Associates stopped operating 149 buses on July 4 last year due to disputes over fare collection with Chalo App. Other agencies also shut down, reducing the fleet. Corporation steps in The Corporation Commissioner instructed bus operators to resume services. The company Incubate Softtech resolved RTO, tax, and permit issues. Sixteen new CNG buses were launched on the TR-4 route to restore services. Issue raised in Assembly Public transport issues in Bhopal have affected daily commuters. Huzur MLA Rameshwar Sharma raised the matter in the State Assembly, highlighting the closure of buses and passenger difficulties. ​