Kerala Motor Vehicles Department crackdown on unfit school vehicles

KOZHIKODE: The Motor Vehicles Department  has suspended the fitness certificates of over  ten school buses and vans for  violation of the safety norms  during a  one-month drive here.   Though  the MVD had issued several orders and conducted  awareness drives  to  ensure the safety of students,  the schools have not taken any steps for the purpose.   Some  autorickshaws  also were booked for violating the  rules. 

The fitness certificates of two school buses of Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan  were  suspended  in the latest action.   Last week, the  permits of four other school buses were also suspended for  not having  doors. Regional transport officer C.K. Paulson said, “the   school authorities are lax about the safety of students travelling in  private vehicles.”  Since they  transport students with the permission of the school managements,  they have to   ensure their fitness, he  said.

As per MVD records, only 255 educational institution buses and 751 light motor vehicles were  permitted to operate services  in the last academic year.  The list was prepared after conducting  annual fitness check-up.  Around 18 private educational institution buses and  69 light motor vehicles were denied permits.

The school authorities said that they had entrusted the transportation of  students with a private agency.  Hence,  there was no school- level steps  to check their fitness. The schools will hereafter  look into the safety aspects of the vehicles, they added.

Some of the reasons for taking action against the vehicles included poor condition of  engines, outdated fire extinguishers, emergency exits without  locking facilities and first aid boxes without  adequate medicines.  The RTO also pointed out that many vehicles ply through the city without  undergoing  the pre-monsoon special checking  conducted prior to the reopening of the schools.  The schools have  been asked to explain  the unfit condition of the vehicles, he said.