LUCKNOW, Oct. 31 -- Locked emergency exits, non-functional fire extinguishers, and serious technical faults were among the major safety lapses detected during a two-day inspection drive by the Lucknow Regional Transport Office (RTO), which found 12 out of 58 private sleeper buses unfit for operation. The large-scale inspection followed a spate of sleeper bus fire incidents in the state capital, prompting urgent checks to assess the condition and safety compliance of private passenger vehicles operating in and around Lucknow. During the inspection conducted on October 29 and 30, enforcement teams checked 58 private sleeper buses parked in Transport Nagar and nearby areas. Of these, 12 were declared unfit for operation, while over 10 others were found with major lapses ranging from faulty fire equipment to unsafe seating arrangements and structural defects. On October 29, the first day of the drive, 36 buses were examined and six were found with grave violations such as sealed emergency exits, non-working fire extinguishers, overhang body alterations, and unauthorised seat modifications. Officials immediately recommended cancellation of their fitness certificates and ordered re-inspection after necessary rectification. The second day's inspection on October 30 revealed a similar pattern of negligence. Out of 22 buses checked, six were again found unfit. Teams reported missing or jammed emergency gates, substandard fire safety tools, faulty seating designs, and unauthorised luggage carriers. In several cases, sleeper berths were improperly fitted, heightening the risk of fire and passenger entrapment. RTO (Enforcement) Lucknow Division Prabhat Pandey said the drive was launched to enforce strict adherence to safety norms. "Several buses were operating in conditions that directly endanger passengers' lives. Operators found running unfit vehicles will face strict action, and any such bus caught on the road again will be seized," he said. He added that detailed reports will be sent to RTOs of other districts where these defective buses are registered, recommending re-verification of their fitness and appropriate punitive action. Officials said nearly 100 sleeper buses are currently stationed in Transport Nagar. The enforcement team has been instructed to compile a complete safety compliance record of all such vehicles operating in and around Lucknow. The RTO's action follows multiple cases of sleeper buses catching fire on the Lucknow-Agra Expressway in recent months, exposing alarming gaps in maintenance and fire preparedness....