Officials issue school bus fitness certificates without inspections
HYDERABAD: With the new academic year set to begin in another month, the Transport Department is preparing to conduct fitness tests for vehicles ferrying students across Telangana. Instructions have already been issued from the department headquarters to district transport officials for inspections.
However, allegations persist that fitness certificates are being issued to school and college vehicles even when private educational institutions fail to comply with mandatory safety norms.
Under transport rules, buses, vans, maxi cabs and other vehicles carrying students must first undergo checks at authorised garages before being produced at Regional Transport Office premises with all relevant documents. Motor Vehicle Inspectors are required to personally drive vehicles for around four kilometres and verify whether they are roadworthy.
Officials are also expected to inspect seating arrangements, braking systems, emergency exits, window-breaking mechanisms for emergencies, first-aid kits and fire extinguishers. But allegations suggest that in many cases officials issue fitness certificates from their offices based only on documents cleared by lower-level staff, without physically inspecting vehicles.
Parents and transport observers alleged that bribery at different levels of the department was enabling such violations. They said officials conduct inspections only briefly after schools reopen and later fail to monitor vehicles regularly.
Overcrowding Raises Safety Concerns
According to official Transport Department records, around 8,000 vehicles linked to private schools and colleges are transporting students across the state. These include buses, vans and mini cabs. Unofficial estimates suggest the actual number may be more than double.
Students are also being transported in autorickshaws and small private vehicles, often in violation of safety norms. Cases of overcrowded autorickshaws continue to surface during inspections by police and transport authorities.
In several district headquarters, students are reportedly transported in tractors and other unsuitable vehicles. In Hyderabad, children are allegedly crammed into mini cabs such as Omni vans, with some even seated in luggage compartments along with school bags.
Educational institutions are required to submit complete details of their transport vehicles to transport authorities. While some institutions operate their own fleets, others outsource transport services to third-party operators.
Accidents Trigger Fresh Questions
Several accidents involving educational institution vehicles have been reported in the state in recent years due to poor vehicle condition, overcrowding, driver negligence and loss of control.
In Vemsur mandal of Khammam district, a private school bus carrying excess students overturned into an irrigation canal at Moddulagudem, injuring around 40 students.
In another incident near Mondikunta in Aswapuram, an engineering college bus from Palvoncha in Kothagudem district rammed into a culvert after the driver lost control. Around 30 students were injured.
A school bus travelling from Shamshabad towards Narsingi on an excursion also overturned in Rangareddy district, leaving several students injured.
Experts said private educational institutions must prioritise student safety and continuously monitor vehicle condition and driver capability to prevent further accidents.
