RTO checks reveal safety violations in school vans

 

Bangalore: A day after five students had a close shave while going to school in an autoricksaw, a team of RTO officials on Satur­day carried checks on school vans near Meena­kshi Mall and were shocked by the way students were being transported. They checked more than 110 vans and found glaring violation of RTO safety rules.

 

According to RTO Mall­ikharjun, who led the team, in one case a father was ferrying his children to school in a goods vehicle and they were travelling standing. In another case, children were being transported in an LPG fitted van without any safety precautions.

 

When a bus owned by a private school was intercepted, they found it was carrying more students than the permitted seating capacity. In another school van there was no first aid box or any precautionary measures.

 

Most of the school van drivers didn’t have scho­ol contact info or emergency contact numbers.

 

Mallikharjun told this newspaper that 10 vehicles, including two vans having private registration numbers, were seized and cases were booked against another 32 for violating the various guidelines fixed by the transport department. “We were shocked by the findings. We can't allow the van owners/ school heads to play with the precious lives of children,” he said.

 

RTO officials said the drive will be carried out across the city in the coming days. “Friday's auto accident was an eye opener for all. We will strictly implement the SC guidelines on school vans,” said an officer.