Three flying squads of Regional Transport Offices (RTOs) in the district and Nagpur city traffic police on Monday launched a drive against vehicles transporting school children sans safety norms.
Flying squads of all the three RTOs detained 19 vehicles including buses, autorickshaws, and vans for various violations including lack of fitness certificates, lapse of permits, and overcrowding, said deputy RTO Ravindra Bhuyar.
Besides this, traffic policemen from 10 zones led by DCP (traffic) Chetna Tidke penalized drivers of 76 school buses, 35 autorickshaws and 30 vans for violating Motor Vehicles Act. “Any negligence regarding the safety of students will not be tolerated,” she said. Enforcement agencies also recovered fines from owners of the errant vehicles.
TOI on Monday reported about illegal vehicles engaged in ferrying school children. Of the 3,757 vehicles in operation, around 2,995 buses and vans have procured the fitness certificate. The RTOs have rejected the applications of others due to deficiencies in vehicles. Besides this, thousands of vehicles are allegedly ferrying children without valid permissions from the transport department.
Flying squads of deputy RTO east detained nine autorickshaws while the city office acted against seven. Also, action was taken against other vehicles after they were found operating with several lapses like lack of fitness certificates, exceeding passenger limit etc, said assistant RTO Dake.
Assistant RTO (Nagpur rural) Ashfaque Ahmed said that the flying squad of Nagpur rural checked around 170 buses, vans and autorickshaws ferrying school children. The team found 10 vehicles, mostly buses and vans, without valid permissions. Of these, show cause notices have been issued to four private vehicles, Ahmed said.
