Archive · 21 Sep 2026
MSRTC Bus Covered 20 Kilometres After Headlights Failed
An MSRTC bus was traveling from Kada to Savargaon in Maharashtra.
Its headlights stopped working after it became dark.
The driver and conductor decided to keep going instead of leaving the bus on an isolated road.
The conductor held a battery-powered torch toward the road.
This helped the driver travel very slowly for about 20 kilometres.
Ten passengers were on the bus and arrived safely around 7:30pm.
A local activist said buses should be checked more carefully before night journeys.
The depot manager said officials were questioning the staff.
He also said that appropriate action would follow after the details were gathered.
An MSRTC bus traveled nearly 20 kilometres without working headlights on Friday evening.
The incident occurred on the Kada-Savargaon route in Ashti tehsil, Beed.
The conductor used a battery-powered torch to help the driver navigate the dark road.
The bus reached Savargaon around 7:30pm with 10 passengers onboard.
A local activist criticized maintenance practices, while the depot manager said an inquiry was underway.
- Who
- An MSRTC bus driver, conductor and 10 passengers were involved; local activist Amol Salve raised safety concerns, and depot manager Anil Nikalje announced an inquiry.
- What
- An MSRTC bus traveled nearly 20 kilometres using a conductor’s battery-powered torch after its headlights failed.
- When
- Friday evening; the bus left Kada around 6pm, the headlights failed around 7pm, and it arrived at Savargaon around 7:30pm.
- Where
- The incident occurred on the Kada-Savargaon route in Ashti tehsil, Beed, Maharashtra.
- Why
- The headlights failed because of an electrical snag, and the crew continued to avoid leaving the bus on an isolated, unlit road.
Safety and Maintenance Concerns
Depot Inquiry and Response
Whether the bus should have operated
Safety and Maintenance Concerns
Local activist Amol Salve questioned whether basic pre-trip lighting and electrical inspections are conducted and demanded that poorly maintained buses be kept off the roads.
Depot Inquiry and Response
Ashti Depot Manager Anil Nikalje said officials were gathering details from the driver and concerned staff about why the bus was operated using a torch, with necessary action to follow.
Continuing the journey after the failure
Safety and Maintenance Concerns
The incident exposed passengers to a risky 20-kilometre drive in darkness, according to the safety concerns described in the report.
Depot Inquiry and Response
The crew chose to continue slowly with a torch because they were reluctant to leave the bus parked on an isolated, unlit road, and some local passengers agreed to the decision.
- Bus operator
- Maharashtra State Road Transport Corporation (MSRTC)
- Bus registration
- MH-20-BL-2055
- Route
- Kada to Savargaon
- Distance traveled without headlights
- Nearly 20 kilometres
- Passengers onboard
- 10
- Arrival time
- Around 7:30pm
- Reported fault
- Electrical snag affecting the headlights
- Official response
- Ashti Depot Manager Anil Nikalje said an inquiry was underway and necessary action would follow.