Hyderabad: Concerns arise over school bus rule compliance

Hyderabad: Are throwing the rules out of the window filling the coffers of the state transport department?

This question comes to the fore following the state transport authorities stepping in raids and inspections against the school buses.

Speaking to The Hans India, Dr S Visweswara Rao (name changed) of a private school in LB Nagar said being aware that there are special rules related to the school buses, many school heads do not bother if a particular school bus fits with the existing rules and regulations or violates the same.

“Mostly, what we come to know from the school transport administrators is that the transport authorities check for vehicle documents of ownership, registration certificate, first aid, license of drivers, insurance of the vehicle and fire safety, permit to ply, vehicle fitness and the like.

The buses are released once the fitness issues are addressed and penalties paid. The whole process takes place anywhere from a fortnight to 30 days.

Apart from this, the school heads are not privy to the issues related to the school buses as they are being run under the administration under the close watch of the management.

“Parent’s complaints and the problems faced by the child while travelling in the school bus were the only issues brought to the notice of the class coordinator, the class teacher and the principal, pointed out Dr Rao.

This begs the question that how many school buses have gone for fitness testsand are they really are ‘school buses’ or buses permitted to play for other purposes but converted into school buses by alteration? How many buses plying by and for the schools on hire, falling under Sections 191 and subjections? Why are the state transport department officials confining their inspections only for fitness and others, collecting fines and releasing the busses to ply on the roads? Why are transport department authorities not bothered about the existing provisions under the Central Motor Vehicles Act seeking compliance against the vans and buses sold for some purposes but converted and used as school buses?, are the questions that rise when to comes to fitness of school buses.