To ensure the safety of children, an inspection of school vehicles was conducted at A.E.T. Matriculation Higher Secondary School premises here on Saturday.
As per the Tamil Nadu Motor Vehicles (Regulation and Control of School Buses) Special Rules 2012, school vehicles have to undergo fitness inspection by Regional Transport Officers in May, so that it can be operated when the schools reopen.
District Collector S. Prabhakar, Superintendent of Police R. Sivakumar in the presence of Joint Transport Commissioner, RTOs, Motor Vehicle Inspectors, Deputy Superintendents of Police and other officials from Revenue and Education Department inspected the vehicles.
The vehicles were checked for emergency exits, flooring, overhead cabin bins, first-aid boxes, display of contact information of the school, fitness certificate, fire extinguisher and other safety measures.
Of the total 948 vehicles under the jurisdiction of RTO Erode (East), Erode West) and Perundurai, as many as 578 vehicles were inspected. Forty vehicles were found with defects and were send back for carrying out corrective measures.
Training was imparted to the drivers on handling fire extinguishers by the fire officers and precautionary measures to be taken while transporting students to schools.
Officials said that only vehicles that had obtained fitness certificates would be allowed to operate after reopening of schools.
