Safety audit of school vehicles under way

Safety audit of school vehicles under way

Transport Department has made it mandatory for schools to get road worthiness certificate for vehicles used for transporting students.

To ensure all safety features are in place in school buses and vans, a district-level committee has been constituted under the chairmanship of the respective Collector. Superintendent of Police or Additional Superintendent of Police and Regional Transport Officers will also be part of the committee. A communication has been sent to all schools, including the government-aided institutions, asking them to keep their vehicles ready for inspection.

N. Alagarasu, Regional Deputy Transport Commissioner, Tiruchi, told The Hindu that no vehicle could be used for transporting students if it failed to meet the safety requirements. The vehicles should be in perfect condition. The vehicles, which were subjected for annual fitness certificates in recent weeks, should also be subjected for fresh checking.

All vehicles should have first-aid boxes and fire extinguishers. They should have been fitted with a camera to record the proceedings. There had been many accidents in the recent past when vehicles were operated in reverse mode. To avoid such accidents, it had been made compulsory for the vehicles to fit rear and front cameras. No vehicles would be permitted without the rear and front cameras.

Mr. Alagarasu said that there were about 2,362 school vehicles in Tiruchi, Ariyalur, Karur and Perambalur districts. Karur had about 250 vehicles, and Ariyalur had 60. Tiruchi had about 1,800 vehicles. The first round of fitness inspection of vehicles had been completed in Karur, Perambalur and Ariyalur districts.

A total of 436 vehicles had been subjected to fitness inspection. Of them, 82 vehicles were rejected for failing to adhere to the stipulated rules and regulations. The respective schools had been asked to carry out required works to get the certificate.

Mr. Alagarasu said that a special drive to check the fitness of vehicles would be held in Tiruchi district on Wednesday. Vehicles being operated in Tiruchi, Manapparai, Thuraiyur, Musiri, Thottiam, Lalgudi and other places should assemble in Thiruvanaikoil.