Private schools throw safety of students to the wind in Mancherial

A section of schools were reportedly not showing interest in taking the vehicles for the test fearing that the buses would fail and that they would be unable to bear the costs.

Mancherial: Private schools appear to be showing negligence in ensuring fitness of buses and vans, throwing safety of students to the wind. According to officials, about 170 of the total of 366 school vehicles underwent fitness tests held by officials of Regional Transport Authority (RTA)-Mancherial so far. Nearly 200 buses were yet to get the fitness test done.

A section of schools were reportedly not showing interest in taking the vehicles for the test fearing that the buses would fail and that they would be unable to bear the costs. Vamshi, a student union leader alleged that the managements of the schools were neglecting the fitness tests fearing the vehicle would not pass.

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They will have to buy new vehicles if the buses fail in the fitness test. They were depending on buses that are unfit for carrying the students. However, the safety of the students is going for a toss, he said.

“A major portion of schools come forward to undergo the test in July as they are busy in the process of admissions in June. They go for it after confirming the strength and raising the cost for the test and buying insurance cover which is around Rs 80,000 per vehicle. However, they check the vehicles with the help of drivers and use the buses to transport the students,” Padmacharan, correspondent of a school said.

When asked, District Transport Officer T Santosh Kumar said cases would be booked against the schools, besides seizing buses if found moving on the roads without fitness test certificates from June 12 onwards. A special drive was launched to check the buses plying without valid fitness certificates. The drive would be conducted till June 30, he stated.

Meanwhile, Kumram Bheem Asifabad district Transport Officer L Ramchandar said that 54 buses out of the total 86 had the fitness test as on Wednesday. He stated that the instructions were given to managements of the schools on the need to have the test for their vehicles.

Steps were being taken to conduct the test for remaining buses at the earliest, he informed.