The Regional Transport Authority (RTA) in Telangana has initiated a stringent statewide crackdown to monitor the movement of school students. This decisive action aims to eliminate unsafe transportation practices that endanger children daily.
New Directives for Enhanced Surveillance and Accountability
The state transport department has issued comprehensive instructions to all enforcement officials. A critical component of this initiative is the creation of a district-level database documenting every vehicle used for ferrying students. This includes auto-rickshaws, vans, and private cars.
Officials have been empowered to seize vehicles on the spot for violations such as overloading beyond permitted capacity, operating without a valid fitness certificate, or breaching any prescribed safety norms. In a significant move to ensure shared responsibility, notices will be mandatorily issued to both the school management and the parents of the students involved in such violations.
Schools Bear Primary Responsibility
According to the RTA, the overall responsibility for safe student transportation rests squarely with school and college managements. They are now required to maintain complete details of all vehicles—whether owned, hired, or private—used by their students, using a specified proforma.
Schools must also collect detailed transport information from parents or guardians for each student. Their mandate is to ensure children travel only in vehicles that fully comply with the safety standards of the Motor Vehicles Act. Failure or repeated violations could lead to district transport officers recommending action, including a review of the school's permission or recognition, to competent authorities.
Coordinated Enforcement and Zero-Tolerance Stance
To ensure strict compliance, district collectors have been asked to monitor implementation and convene coordination meetings between transport and education department officials. Regular and special enforcement drives will be conducted, particularly during school hours, to check for unauthorized transport, overloading, and invalid documents.
Joint inspections with education department officials will also be a regular feature. K Ilambarithi, Commissioner of the Telangana Transport Department, emphasized the paramount importance of schoolchildren's safety. "The safety of schoolchildren is of paramount importance. Any laxity in enforcement or compliance will be viewed seriously," he stated.
Instructions will be disseminated to all school managements through educational officers, reiterating their crucial role. This multi-pronged strategy of database creation, strict enforcement, and fixed accountability marks a significant step towards securing the daily commute of Telangana's students.
