Crackdown on drivers using mobiles, ear plugs in school bus

NOIDA: In the wake of the terrible crash in

Etah

which claimed the lives of 12 small schoolchildren, the state transport commissioner has asked RTOs of all districts including

Gautam Budh Nagar

to direct the principals and transporters to take stern action against school bus drivers who use mobile phones/earphones while driving the vehicles.

Following the commissioner’s order, the GB

Nagar RTO

has decided to issue notices regarding 156 buses without fitness certificates in different schools in the district. “Some 156 buses of different schools, including many prominent ones, do not have a fitness certificate. We will issue notices to all of them,”

ARTO Rachna Yaduvanshi

told TOI.

In his letter to the the assistant regional transport officers (ARTOs) of the different districts of the state, transport commissioner K Ravinder Naik said that there would be a drive to ensure school buses follow the regulations from Friday to Sunday, January 22. The drive should target not just school vehicles but also those operating on a contract with the school.

In case the schools fail on that score, the transport officers have been directed to stop their services. They were told to tell the principals to not insist on punctuality from the drivers in the event of traffic jams/curbs on the way to the school. The principals should not insist on the buses reaching the school “at the exact time” if the road conditions are not propitious.

The letter asked the schools to ensure that the vehicles have all the necessary documents, including registration certificate and fitness certificate.

Following the commissioner’s directive, the GB Nagar

RTO

started a drive against school vehicles.

ARTO (enforcement) Rajesh Singh said that challans were issued to 35 school vehicles out of which 31 were school buses and four were school vans. Four other school buses were seized.

“We had formed seven teams and challaned buses violating road safety norms in Noida and Greater Noida. Out of these, 19 buses were owned by schools and 12 were plying on a contractual basis. While some buses did not have a first-aid-box, some did not have a fire extinguisher. The drive will go on till Saturday,” Singh said.