Hyderabad: Shortcut routes are turning into death traps for the passengers of private buses and for locals in many cases of mishaps.

A private bus of BJR Travels caught fire on January 18, 2016 near Zahirabad while coming from Mumbai to Hyderabad. Passengers had a lucky escape as workers on the roads chased the bus and alerted the driver about the fire.

Later, the authorities found that the bus had taken a shortcut and an alternative route to avoid checking by the transport department at the Zahirabad check post.

Similarly, a bus of Kaveri Travels caught fire when it came into contact with electric lines near Humnabad while it was coming from Shirdi to Hyderabad. This incident claimed a 3-year-old boy’s life. On December 2013, a bus caught fire at Trimulgherry and on November 1, 2016 another private bus registered with the Puducherry government caught fire near Humnabad.

Besides this, truckers who ferry agricultural products through the alternative routes and shortcuts between Gadwal-Raichur, Vijayawada-Kodad, Maha-rashtra-Nizamabad-Hyderabad and Chattisgarh-Khammam to escape check posts are causing accidents

Motor vehicle inspector B. Sai Ram Reddy said that private bus operators and truckers were giving safety the go by and going for alternative routes to escape taxes and checking.

“Some of the alternative routes are very dangerous with low electric lines and threats of robbers, especially between Zahirabad in Telangana and Humnabad in Maharashtra on the Shirdi route. Although the government factors in all these facts while establishing check posts, illegal transporters ignore them,” he said.