Many engineering college managements in Ranga Reddy are in a fix this academic year as the government has imposed a ban on using buses which are 15 years old and above.
There are about 3,600 educational institute buses of which 1,300 are school buses and rest belong to engineering colleges and other higher educational institutes.
Before commencement of every academic year, all institutes need to obtain fitness certificates, road tax and other clearances from the Transport Department. There are about 200 buses that are 15 years old and the department will not issue fitness certificates to these buses, Deputy Transport Commissioner C. Ramesh has said.
Apparently, most colleges purchase second hand rickety buses from Tamil Nadu, Karnataka and other States to transport students/faculty here.
If the department implements the rules strictly the college managements have to either scrap them or sell them elsewhere.
The ban on use of 15-year-old vehicles as school and college buses was being implemented in the capital since 2006. But the government had now issued an order extending the ban all over the State from May this year, said Joint Transport Commissioner G. Panduranga Rao.
There are 1,400 buses belonging to educational institutes in Hyderabad and till date over 300 buses have obtained the mandatory fitness and other tax clearances.
A special drive will be launched from June first week to crack down on buses which fail to obtain the mandatory clearances and lack safety measures, said Mr. Rao.
In Ranga Reddy district 1,700 buses had obtained fitness certificates.
All other buses too have to obtain all the clearances before schools and colleges reopen after the summer vacation, failing which they would not be allowed to ply, Mr. Ramesh said.
Camps for drivers
The department is also laying emphasis on conducting special awareness camps for school and college bus drivers on May 24 at the Secunderabad Trimulgherry office and June 4 at its Nagole office where drivers will be sensitised about road safety rules and safe driving practices.
