Private educational institutes draw flak for neglecting fitness tests in Adilabad

Private schools and colleges in the erstwhile Adilabad district are facing criticism for delays in obtaining fitness certificates for their buses. Transport officials warned of strict action against non-compliant vehicles, while parents voiced concerns over student safety ahead of school reopening.

Adilabad: Recognised private school managements are drawing flak for compromising the safety of students with their negligence in obtaining fitness certificates for their buses in the erstwhile Adilabad district.

The recognised private schools and colleges, known for collecting hefty transport fees, are facing criticism for neglecting the fitness of their buses and vehicles. Parents expressed concern over the safety of their children travelling in unsafe vehicles. They requested the managements to ensure that the buses are mandatorily fit to transport students.

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Mancherial Road Transport Officer Gopi said that the district accounted for 375 buses owned by various educational institutions. Of them, 260 buses have cleared fitness tests so far. Steps were being taken to complete the process for the remaining vehicles by June 12, he stated.

The Road Transport Authority officials warned that buses which did not obtain fitness certificates would be seized if found transporting students. They stated that special drives would be conducted to identify buses flouting traffic rules and ignoring the safety of pupils. A fine would be imposed on the owners of the vehicles for violating road safety norms.

According to the officials, parents can now check the fitness certificate on the website of the Telangana Transport Department by entering the registration number of the vehicle. Parents can easily verify the name of the vehicle inspector who conducted the fitness test, they noted. They stated that the government introduced the facility to bring transparency to the process two years ago.

Meanwhile, over 300 buses out of a total of 530 vehicles have passed the fitness tests in Nirmal, Adilabad and Kumram Bheem Asifabad districts so far. Officials said that the remaining fleet would complete the process soon. They urged private schools and colleges to come forward and obtain fitness certificates by paying the relevant fees to ensure the safety of students.