COIMBATORE: Ahead of the 2026-2027 academic year, Coimbatore district collector Pavankumar G Giriyappanavar inspected private school buses at PRS Grounds here on Thursday.The fitness inspection was carried out under the Tamil Nadu Motor Vehicles (Regulation and Control of School Buses) Special Rules, 2012. Of the 1,775 permitted school vehicles operating under the Coimbatore Central, South, North, West, and Sulur regional transport offices, 1,213 were presented for inspection. The collector said the remaining 562 vehicles would undergo mandatory testing within a week.During the inspection, the collector and transport officials examined key safety features, including emergency exits, fire extinguishers, first-aid kits, seat condition, and CCTV cameras. He witnessed a live demonstration by the fire and rescue services department, which trained school vehicle drivers in emergency firefighting techniques.Speaking to media, the collector said vehicles found with deficiencies during the inspection must rectify them and undergo re-inspection at their respective RTOs before schools reopen. He added that drivers had been strictly instructed to follow safe speed limits. A joint team from the transport department, RTOs, and the police department will continue to monitor and enforce speed regulations within city limits.A health and eye check-up camp will also be conducted by the regional transport department for all participating school bus drivers.Deputy commissioner of police (traffic) S Ashok Kumar and regional transport officers Viswanathan, Pradeepa and Poongothai took part in the inspection.
