Hyderabad: School vans continue to claim the lives of children. Officials from the transport department said that the negligence of the bus driver is the main reason for accidents in which children are killed.
Many schools employ drivers without a heavy vehicle licence and some drivers do not have any driving licence. Raids by the transport department have no effect on such institutions.
Parents blame school managements for not monitoring vehicle movement and the behaviour of the driver. The absence of attenders inside vans is also causing accidents.
Police said incidents occur when temporary hands drive the vehicle. In most such cases, accidents happen when the van is reversing or taking a turn in congested campuses. Absence of the attendant is seen as reason for the accident.
“Temporary drivers who come for a day or two are unaware of the route, stops and the behaviour of children, which can lead to accidents. If an attendant is absent, schools do not depute a replacement person, due to which children are left on the road, leading to accidents.” said joint transport commissioner Venkateshwarlu.
Faulty vehicles and vehicles without fitness certificates are also causing accidents. “While May 15 is the deadline to renew FCs, most schools delay it till June-end,” he added.
Officials said that institutions which had a large fleet were maintaining them poorly. The situation is better with those that have fewer vehicles.
To avoid untoward incidents involving school vans, vehicles are seized. If any driver is caught violating norms, the DL is suspended for three months and if the vehicle owner or the school is found neglecting FC renewal, they are booked, officials said.
