1150 school buses clear fitness test in East Godavari

Rajamahendravaram: After summer holidays, the schools and colleges are reopening on June 12 and the private schools and colleges are making hungama with advertisements luring the parents and students with various sops. But, the

respective managements who are concentrating to loot the parents with high fees and not taking care of their buses aimed to transport the students by charging thousands of rupees per annum. As per government rules, every school or college management should get fitness certificate to their buses every year before the reopening of their institutions from Transport department. But many managements are not bothering about this and taking the certificates just before the reopening. Many buses are not in condition and the managements are not following the guidelines of government and operating the buses by giving facelift to them. Even the managements are operating buses which crossed 15 year-service against the rule and some managements also engaging the drivers above the prescribed age limit. Speaking to The Hans India, Regional Transport Officer Siri Anand said that fitness certificate was issued to 1,150 buses and 1,150 certificates are under process as against a total 4,001 buses in East Godavari district. The department is issuing the certificates after checking all the parameters of the buses.

The department will act against the managements of respective managements if they operate buses without fitness certificates and the motor vehicles inspectors and other staff are also conducting surprise checks. The buses should not be allowed to carry the students without fitness certificate, she added. The buses could carry the students only but not allowed to hire for any other purpose such as weddings and parties. Recently as many as 25 buses were seized for violating the rules in this regard. All the staff in the region were directed to check all school and student buses moving on the roads. It is the duty of the parents also to check the buses if they pay money for transporting their children to schools and advised them to inform to the office if the buses are not in a condition, Siri Anand averred.