Noida: Noida and Ghaziabad transport authorities have stepped up inspections of private school buses to ensure compliance with safety regulations, officials said on Monday. Under the special drive, notices were issued to 98 vehicles over the last few days – 38 in Noida and 60 in Ghaziabad. The checks will continue till July 15.“During inspections, several buses were found operating without mandatory safety provisions. Notices have been issued to the concerned schools and vehicle operators, and strict action will follow if the deficiencies are not rectified within the stipulated period,” said Udit Narayan Pandey, regional transport officer (RTO), GB Nagar.Pandey told TOI that teams are checking whether buses are equipped with first-aid kits, fire extinguishers, CCTV cameras, GPS tracking systems and speed governors. Officials are also verifying the availability of valid fitness certificates, permits, pollution under control (PUC) certificates, insurance documents, and police verification status of the drivers and conductors.
Notices have been issued to 38 violators in Noida, 60 in Ghaziabad
Schools have been directed to produce driving licence, medical fitness certificate and police verification records of drivers, as well as the verification documents of conductors and attendants deployed on school buses.Officials said buses found operating without any of these mandatory provisions would face penal action, while repeated violations could invite stricter measures, including suspension of permits and prosecution under relevant provisions of the Motor Vehicles Act.Ghaziabad RTO Pramod Kumar Singh said the drive was launched in light of a rise in incidents involving school buses, particularly cases of fire breaking out in buses across the country. “The objective is to prevent accidents by ensuring that vehicles carrying schoolchildren adhere to prescribed safety standards,” he said.Singh also said the transport department has issued 10 directions to all private schools regarding school bus safety and emergency preparedness. “Every school must ensure that fire-fighting equipment is installed and maintained in every school bus. The prescribed safety norms have to be followed without exception,” he added.According to officials, responsibility for violations would not rest solely with vehicle operators. If safety norms continue to be flouted, action will be taken against the educational institutions concerned as well as the bus owners, drivers and conductors.Teams will continue conducting surprise checks across both districts until July 15, after which a review of compliance will be undertaken and further action initiated against defaulting schools and transport operators, officials added.
