Bus was fitted with speed limiter device last year

MUMBAI: The ill-fated bus that plunged into a gorge of Ambenali ghat killing 33 occupants had a fitness certificate till August 21, according to documents of Maharashtra Motor Vehicle department (MMVD), the bus was also fitted with speed limiter device last year.

According to information sourced from MMVD, the bus having registration number MH08 E 9087 was owned by the Dapoli-based agriculture university and it was registered in September 2012, at Ratnagiri RTO.

The documents accessed by HT suggest that the bus was fitted with a speed governor or speed limiting device, restricting the top speed of the bus at 60kmph. It was fitted with the gadget at the time of renewal of fitness certificate which certifies that the vehicle is roadworthy, and was issued on August 22, 2017. The fitness certificate needs to be renewed every year for commercial vehicles.

As per the RTO records, the bus had an approved seating capacity of 30+1 seats, which was also brought down by two seats to keep emergency doors obstaclefree.

RTO officials suspect the driver’s misjudgment about the road and distraction for a few moments, apart from the occurrence of any sudden thing as the reason behind the accident. “It may be a misjudgment of the ghat road by the driver, because he may not be a regular on the ghat route,” said an RTO officer who did not wish to be named.