Virudhunagar
Despite stringent rules and mandatory screening of safety provisions in schools buses in place, 39 out of 307 vehicles did not comply with the 21-point safety regulations during annual inspection of school vehicles held by a committee of Government officials here on Monday.
The buses were found wanting in free operation of emergency exits and road worthy tyres. Besides, fire-extinguishers had passed their validity period and the vehicles had dysfunctional wipers, headlights and indicators, said the Virudhunagar Regional Transport Officer, M. Chandrasekar.
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Collector, A. Sivagnanam, Superintendent of Police, M. Rajarajan, District Chief Educational Officer, R. Swaminathan, inspected some of the vehicles from Virudhunagar and Aruppukottai transport regions.
A total of 169 out 206 vehicles from 44 schools in Virudhunagar transport region and 138 out of 174 vehicles of 32 schools in Aruppukottai transport region came to the Armed Reserve ground here for the screening.
Vehicles were checked on 21 safety aspects, including speed governors, proper emergency exits, cross bars for windows, medicines in first-aid kits, fire-extinguisher, proper platform and seating arrangement, racks for school bags, proper separation of drivers cabin.
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Seventy-three vehicles that were in workshops for meeting the conditions for getting fitness certificate would be screened later, the RTO said.
The 39 vehicles that could not get clearance for various reasons need to get the anomalies rectified and again under go the screening.
“Only those vehicles that get a certificate from the panel under Tamil Nadu Motor Vehicles (Regulations and Control of School ) Special Rules will be allowed to ply. Any school vehicle that is operated without this certificate will face stringent action,” the RTO said.
Vehicles from Sivakasi and Srivilliputtur transport regions will be screened separately.