Mangaluru: The SDMC coordination committee has written to the regional transport office (RTO) in Dakshina Kannada to take action against school vehicles flouting rules while ferrying students across the district. The committee has complained that the departments and officials concerned are blind to the violations and must act against them.Following a formal complaint by the SDMC coordination committee regarding school vehicles flouting safety regulations to the Mangaluru RTO, the Mangaluru East traffic police acted swiftly, booking 49 vehicles and collecting fines amounting to Rs 9,800, recently. Complaints have been registered in other police stations too.Mohiuddin Kutty, president of the association, said that both private vehicles and those owned by private educational institutions often violate safety norms by carrying students beyond the permissible limit. “In rural areas, I have personally seen autorickshaws crammed with 10-12 children. Similarly, private school buses are often overcrowded, with students forced to stand while travelling,” he said.The association has written to RTOs across the district, urging strict action against such violations. “While enforcement drives are conducted following complaints, they usually last only a few days before the focus shifts to helmetless riding, seatbelt checks, and other issues. Both the RTO and police departments must carry out regular checks to curb these violations,” he stressed.He added that last year, the district witnessed multiple incidents where vehicles ferrying schoolchildren met with accidents. They are overloaded and lack valid documents, especially insurance and others.A traffic police personnel said violations in city limits are less compared to rural areas. “In city limits, parents are aware of overcrowding and expect the autorickshaw driver not to transport more than six children at a time. Also, there is a school vehicle owners association which keeps an eye on violators. We are checking from time to time by conducting drives. It will be done regularly once the rain subsides,” police said.
