Prayagraj: As many as 973 of the 1,450 registered school vehicles in the city were found flouting safety norms, raising serious concerns over the security of children commuting daily.The alarming findings came to light during a special enforcement drive conducted from April 1 to 15, following govt directives.As part of the drive, around 600 schools in the district were asked to upload details of their vehicles on the UP Integrated School Vehicle Management Portal for verification.Out of these, 485 schools uploaded information related to 1,450 vehicles, of which 1,361 were verified by the RTO.During verification, 285 vehicles were found to have failed fitness tests, while 288 were operating without valid insurance. Additionally, nearly 400 vehicles lacked essential safety features such as CCTV cameras and GPS systems.Officials also identified several other deficiencies, including absence of first-aid kits, fire extinguishers and other mandatory safety provisions. Following these findings, the RTO issued notices to school managements and vehicle owners, giving them 15 days to rectify the shortcomings.Authorities also directed enforcement teams to intensify checks on roads and take strict action against vehicles found violating norms. The move aims to ensure that children are transported in safe and compliant vehicles.Assistant RTO, Rajeev Chaturvedi, said: “Strict action will be taken against any school vehicle found operating in violation of safety standards even after the notice period. Ensuring the safety of schoolchildren remains the top priority of the administration.”
