)
Volvo India, which has a firm grip on the inter-state bus market, will be up against a herculean task after the Karnataka government on Sunday said bus operators will have to install emergency exits within a period of three months.
Scores of bus operators across the country have been lapping up buses manufactured by the company. About 1,000 buses out of the nation's total of 5000 are based in Karnataka alone.
The directive from the Karnataka government comes after two incidents of Volvo buses catching fire after accidents, which led to the death of 52 passengers on-board.
Experts in the industry said bus operators may have indulged in the adulteration of fuel that accelerated the spread of the fire.
A spokesperson for Volvo India said that they have not yet decided the process of implementing the order. Volvo India has earlier said they will be fully compliant with government regulations.
"All aspects are being examined (over the incident) and we cannot comment on how the process is being executed. We are working closely with the government as well as the relevant authorities. We have experts from our global headquarters down here to check various aspects," Volvo India spokesperson added.
The state government mandate ordered all bus operators to install the emergency exits at a reasonable height on the side of the bus, failing which a penalty would be imposed and vehicles seized.
The government added that Volvo buses will not be procured in future if the company does not fit teh same with emergency exits at a reasonable height.
The latest measure follows the Transport Department's launch of an initiative to check rash driving in privately-owned buses.
Ever since Volvo came on to the Indian market more than a decade ago, the sleek low-chasis buses have been huge success despite a steep price of around Rs 90 lakh a bus.
