Travels owners to face murder charges for negligence, warns Telangana minister

Hyderabad: Telangana Transport Minister Ponnam Prabhakar on Friday warned private travels operators that the government will file murder charges if negligence leads to passenger deaths.

Citing the recent bus accident near Chinnatekur in Kurnool, he said the state will no longer tolerate risks to public safety. The bus involved had Odisha registration, he noted, and called for a detailed investigation into the incident.

Ponnam directed transport officials to probe the case thoroughly. He said all buses must meet fitness, insurance, and speed standards without exception. “Break the rules and endanger lives you’ll face murder charges and jail,” he warned.

He criticised operators who accuse officials of harassment during routine inspections. “This mindset weakens regulatory oversight and causes delays in addressing accidents,” he said.

Committee to curb speeding, safety talks with neighbouring states

The minister announced plans to form a committee that will monitor overspeeding by private buses. He also said Telangana will soon meet with transport ministers from Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka to set strict inter-state safety guidelines.

“Our aim is to regulate private travel operators and ensure passenger safety at all times,” Ponnam stated.