VIJAYAWADA: Over 200 school and college buses in NTR district have been found defective and flouting mandatory safety rules, raising serious concerns over student transport safety standards.
Widespread Safety Lapses Uncovered
The widespread safety lapses were uncovered as part of a large-scale annual inspection drive initiated by the transport department across the district from May 1 onwards. A total of 1,571 educational institution buses operate in the district, of which 250 have been inspected so far, and nearly every vehicle that was checked was found to have some defect or another.
Major Violations Identified
Among the major violations identified were seats blocking emergency exits, a lack of vehicle-tracking devices, inadequate firefighting equipment, the absence of safety hammers meant for breaking glass in case of an emergency, and missing first-aid boxes. Officials also found several buses without reflective safety tapes on their exteriors, which are mandatory under road safety norms.
Transport officials said emergency exits in many buses were rendered useless as seats had been placed directly in front of them, making evacuation difficult during an accident or fire.
Inspection Drive and Enforcement
The inspection drive, being executed under the supervision of district deputy transport commissioner (DTC) M Purendra, aims at ensuring student safety before the new academic year begins. To conduct the large-scale inspection, the transport department has formed 12 special teams, with each assigned to inspect around 130 buses and determine their roadworthiness, officials said.
Authorities said fitness certificates will be suspended for buses found with defects. Educational institutions have been directed to rectify all shortcomings and get the buses reinspected before they can receive clearance certificates for the upcoming academic year.
Regulatory Compliance and Deadlines
The inspections are being conducted in accordance with the Andhra Pradesh Motor Vehicles Act, Central Motor Vehicles Rules, and other road safety regulations. Officials have given institutions till May 20 to complete repairs and deploy safety upgrades. Purendra said only buses meeting all prescribed safety standards will be permitted to operate once schools reopen.
