THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Superclass buses that have completed their five-year validity period are still running on the road, dangling with the safety of the passengers. The KSRTC super fast yesterday catching fire on Thrissur asserts more about the danger looming over. 1800 superclass buses in the KSRTC garage have completed their five-year run. Among these, 159 bus has surpassed 10-year service with no one to raise any question. According to the norms, after the five-year completion, the superclass buses should be made ordinary and should be avoided long-distance service.

The buses, if allowed for an extended run will catch glitches in the engine that transcends to damages in electrical wirings that gives threat of fire while on the run. The 290 E- bus as promised has not yet arrived. The other 265 diesel buses ordered have also gotten into roadblocks of sorts. Until the arrival of these new buses, KSRTC will be forced to run with these expired engines.