Legal action is likely to be initiated against managements of schools that fail to present educational institution vehicles for the annual fitness check of the Motor Vehicles Department (MVD) ahead of the new academic year. Arrangements are in place in the limits of Kozhikode and Vadakara regional transport offices (RTOs) to facilitate the inspection and complete formalities by the end of this month.
Kozhikode Regional Transport Office will conduct the fitness check at Chevayur on May 24. Mechanical fitness, vehicle documents and details of drivers will be checked. The date of vehicle inspection in the Vadakara RTO limit will be announced later.
MVD officers say fitness norms are applicable for all vehicles that are used for the transportation of schoolchildren. Only drivers who have completed 10 years of service in the field will be allowed to operate school buses and educational institutions have to ensure it prior to the new academic year, they add.
For sensitising the drivers to their responsibilities, the MVD is planning to conduct a special learning class at Chevayur testing ground on May 27. School managements have been asked to send their drivers to attend the compulsory session on the day.
In the new academic year, Parents-Teachers Associations (PTA) too will have the responsibility to monitor school bus services and proper behaviour of bus crew. As per new guidelines, PTAs or school authorities will have to ensure the presence of a senior caretaker in the bus to ensure the safety of children.
Last year, the total number of educational institution vehicles examined as part of the pre-monsoon drive was around 200. Around 25 vehicles had been found unfit. Such vehicles were allowed to be operated only after clearing issues in the second round of inspections.
