1,633 school buses, vans fail to clear fitness test across State

Kancheepuram district has a maximum number of 231 school buses and vans, which failed the inspection, followed by Kanniyakumari with 184 such vehicles.

According to the Transport Department sources, 33,017 buses and vans were permitted to transport schoolchildren in the State. Of them, 23,808 vehicles have been inspected by the special joint team of officials across the State as on May 28. In the inspection, 22,175 vehicles were cleared while 1,633 busesand vans failed.

As per the Tamil Nadu Motor Vehicles (Regulation and Control of School Buses) Special Rules 2012, school vehicles have to undergo a fitness inspection by Regional Transport Officers in May, so that it can be operated when the schools reopen.

To ensure that the vehicles are fit for use, the inspectors checked the installation of emergency exit doors, fire extinguishers, speed governors to prevent rash driving, sticking of the school bus symbol, putting window grills on both sides, provisioning of racks for keeping school bags under the seats and installation of the first aid box.

A senior official of the department said that the main defects found in the vehicles pertained to emergency exits and fire extinguishers. “Most first aid kits lacked proper medicines or expired ones while fire extinguishers were missing in some school buses. Hence, we sent such vehicles back,” the official said.

In Tamil Nadu, Salem district has the highest number of vehicles – 2,367 buses and vans – permitted to transport schoolchildren followed by Kancheepuram (2,265) and Coimbatore (2,015). The lowest being the Nilgiris with 311 vehicles followed by Perambalur (370).