Ahead of the reopening of educational institutions after summer vacation, at least five buses used for transporting students were found unfit during inspection.
A special committee consisting of the District Collector and officials from the Regional Transport Office (RTOs), police, Revenue and Education departments on Tuesday jointly inspected 435 school and college vehicles to check if mandatory safety features were in place.
Five buses were not issued fitness certificate (FC) because they did not have speed governor, mobile fire extinguisher and first aid kit that were mandatory as per a Supreme Court order.
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Collector K. Veera Raghava Rao said 896 buses identified in the district would be tested based on the height of the foot board and the positioning of seats, among others. Proper storage facility should be provided under each seat and the bus must have functional indicators, speed governor and emergency exits. The name of the school and school transport official, telephone/mobile number and email address, and RTO and police station numbers should be displayed on the bus.
“All vehicles that undergo the test will get a FC only if they have complied with the rules. Those vehicles that have been cleared will get an ‘Okay’ sticker from the committee. Vehicles that are not inspected today will have to ensure that they receive their FCs before May 30,” he said.
Speaking to crew members, he said: “Drivers play the role of ‘teachers’ to young students, who learn basic road safety rules from them. Even a small negligence can cost a lot of lives and dreams. It is important to be vigilant on the road.”
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Drivers, at random, were asked to operate fire extinguishers and display their skills.
The defects must be rectified within May 30, so that buses could ply when the schools reopen in June.
Eye camp
An eye camp was conducted for 110 drivers, who came for the inspection, and 20 were asked to purchase spectacles at subsidised rates.