The officials in Regional Transport Office, Revenue, Police and Education departments jointly inspected college and school vehicles to check the condition and amenities provided in the vehicles here on Monday. Ten vehicles were rejected on technical grounds and for lack of facilities.
Talking to press persons, RTO K. Anand said that the team inspected school buses to ensure safety of children as the schools would reopen in the first week of June.
The schools should keep their vehicles fit to transport children safely. “We checked whether these buses have all safety measures. Emergency door should function properly. Name of the school, telephone or mobile number, school transport official’s name, RTO number and police station number, and email address of the school should be displayed on the bus. Storage facility should be provided under each seat and emergency exits should be functional. All buses should have first aid box and fire extinguisher besides low steps with wide entrance. Speed governors should be fitted in all vehicles,” the RTO added.
Vehicles found with defects or lacking in these amenities would not be permitted for operation. One week time was given to school authorities to rectify the defects. If they failed to rectify it, such vehicles would be impounded, he added.
A total of 324 vehicles owned by 77 nursery, matriculation schools were checked by the team comprising Sub-Collector Akash, Transport Inspector M. Manivannan, DSP M. Sigamani and Chief Educational Officer Mohan Das on the RTO campus.