With hardly a week to go for schools in the city to reopen, vehicles that ferry students from home to school have come under the scanner.
The Transport Department on Wednesday launched a fitness inspection of institution-owned school buses and vans.
There are an estimated 717 school and college vans and buses, according to V. Srinivasan, one of the seven Motor Vehicle Inspectors assigned for the week –long inspection drive . It was launched by the Transport Commissioner and a report would be presented shortly. “We are checking if the vehicles are mechanically fit and this involves inspection of brakes, doors, emergency windows, platforms, seats, space for bags and safety features,” said Kaliaperumal, another inspector.
Vehicles operated by educational institutions have to be painted yellow and equipped with fire extinguishers.
“Some of these requirements, including first aid boxes with medicines within the expiry date, were not met three or four years ago,” said Mr. Kaliaperumal. “With yearly checks being carried out both this year and the last, the vehicles try to conform to the standards.”
Drivers are also subject to scrutiny and must have minimum five years of experience. While attenders are mandatory, only some of them report for inspection. If there are defects, the school management is notified to rectify it within a week, said Mr. Srinivasan.
“Many of the vehicles are still in workshops, sprucing up for the inspection and reopening. They are attending to painting and repair jobs.”
However, concerns over old vehicles operated by the educational institutions, remain. “As there is no provision in the Motor Vehicles Act which prohibits vehicles past a certain number of years on the road, we cannot order off old vehicles” said one of the inspectors.
“All we can do is verify the roadworthiness of these vans and buses. It is in the interest of the management to replace the old vehicles. They will have to incur maintenance expenses more than twice a year.”
