Kochi: Ahead of the school reopening, GPS made mandatory for school buses by Motor Vehicles Department (MVD) to ensure the security of children and reduce road accidents.
The ongoing inspection of the buses as part of the pre-monsoon checks which started on Wednes-day will end on May 29. More than 50 buses were inspected as of now by the MVD inspectors and assistant inspectors of RT offices and sub-RT offices in the district.
The GPS tracking and panic buttons are made mandatory for all the vehicles registered as educational institution buses, and it has to be linked with the ‘Suraks-hamithra’ website of the MVD.
The GPS will enable school authorities, parents and enforcement agencies to monitor bus movements and give alerts in case of any mishaps.
According to MVD officials, special safety stickers will be stuck on the buses after the checks and school vehicles without these stickers will not be allowed to carry students. Besides, the private taxi vehicles that carry school students will also be checked soon, officials said.
They said that the fitness rules are applicable for all vehicles that are used for the transportation of schoolchildren. The drivers who have completed ten years of service in the field will be allowed to operate school buses, and the institutions including the PTA representatives have to ensure it before the new academic year, they said.
